We Danced
by Meghannna
Summary: AU- Sam is working as a bartender in Anton Hill's bar. Two months into his op, he meets Andy one night after closing. The first chapter is loosely based off the song "We Danced" by Brad Paisley.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I've never done AU before and I don't know if I'll ever do it again. But, svugirl25 suggested a story based off of Brad Paisley's ****_We Danced _****and I couldn't help myself. I didn't want to necessarily make this a song-fic, so there's no lyrics or anything, but it is loosely based of Brad Paisley's song. **

**Let me know what you think!**

Sam wiped his hands with the bar rag as he watched the last customer leave. When the door shut behind him, Sam slung the rag over his shoulder and leaned his hands on the bar in front of him. He let his head fall and rolled his neck a couple of times before standing up and getting back to work. _Work_. Bartending wasn't really his work. It was just a way for him to get in as deep as he could with Anton Hill and his associates. Hill was his boss now, had been for two months, and Sam hadn't found a damn thing. He was sure he was going to get pulled out of the op any day if he didn't come up with something.

Two months undercover and all he wanted was a small piece of the puzzle. Once he had that, he would be unstoppable. He needed Hill's trust and apparently two months tending bar wouldn't earn it. He didn't want to get pulled out, though. Undercover was his calling and he wasn't ready to be thrown back in uniform. There was nothing waiting for him on the other side. He needed to get a move on in the case so he could stick around a little longer and get Hill behind bars where he belonged.

As he wiped down the back of the bar, he heard the door swing open and fall shut. "We're closed," he said as he turned around. His eyes widened against his will and he felt his stomach twist at the sight of woman. He couldn't remember the last time something like that happened, but he felt himself smiling at her.

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling back. She looked behind her at the closed door and then her eyes wandered around the empty room. The only sound around them was the music from the jukebox. Sam noticed that when she looked at him again, her eyes were on his shoulder not his face. That was kind of a blow to the ego. "I know you're closed, but I think I left my purse here earlier. I just had the worst-" she stopped talking and shook her head, as if to shake herself out of her rambling. This time, her eyes landed on his and she smiled more brightly than before.

"Your purse?" He asked, crossing his arms. She nodded and walked toward the bar.

"Have you seen it?" She asked and then looked back at a table. It must have been the table she had been at earlier. It was busy all night, though, and Sam didn't remember her at all. Surprisingly. He had a feeling those eyes would be hard to forget. "Or did someone maybe bring it up to you?"

"Oh, you know what," he said, remembering back to about an hour before. He moved to the corner of the bar and ducked underneath to pull out the lost and found. It was really just a small box, filled to the brim with crap that was probably older than Sam himself. He let it rest on the floor in front of him and he heard a stool being pulled out. When he looked up, the girl was looking in the mirror behind the bar, playing with her hair. He had to pull his gaze away from her and focus back on the task at hand. Her purse, or _a _purse, sat on the top of the pile and he found the wallet right away. Opening it up, he saw her face on her license and stood up. "Well, Andrea, looks like it's your lucky night."

"Ha," she scoffed when he was back in front of her. He tucked the wallet back in the purse and slid it across the bar toward her.

"What's so funny?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

"Everything you just said," she laughed and he crossed his arms and leaned against the back of the bar, waiting for her to elaborate. "No one's called me Andrea in ten years," she said and he nodded. "And this night has sucked, thank you very much."

"Want a drink?" He asked, moving to stand in front of her. She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

"I thought you were closed," she said and he shrugged. He had no idea why he was willing to give this girl a drink after closing, but he didn't want to go back on the offer. They watched each other for a minute and she only answered him when he had lowered himself to rest on his forearms. "Scotch. Whatever you have."

"My kind of girl," he chuckled, turning toward the liquor. With his back to her, he took the rag from his shoulder and tucked it into his back pocket. When he turned back, her eyes remained where his back pocket had just been. He cleared his throat and her face turned red as her eyes shot to his. He smirked and slid a glass to her. "What was so bad about this night... Wait, if you don't like Andrea, what do people call you?"

"Andy," she smiled, taking a sip and he nodded.

"Okay," he said, lowering his eyes to her purse again. A pen was sticking out of it and he picked it up. It was an Academy pen. "You a cop, Andy?"

She looked like she didn't know how to answer that. But she did. "Not yet," she said confidently and he smirked. Whoever her TO was going to be was going to have their hands full, that's for damn sure. "Two more weeks in the academy."

"Any offers yet?" He asked and he realized that he had transitioned from bartender to cop already. He had to keep himself in check, but he wanted to know more.

"Job offers?" She asked, taking another sip and he nodded. "Yeah. I've already accepted."

"Good for you," he nodded and she smiled. "So, you've only got two weeks left in the academy, you've got a job lined up, why did your night suck?"

"Have you ever been on a blind date..."

"Sam," he offered. And then he sighed. He hadn't been Sam in two months, not to a stranger at least, but her eyes made him want to tell her everything.

"Ever been on a blind date, _Sam_?" She asked and he shook his head. "Good. Don't ever go on a blind date. They suck."

"I don't know," he shrugged, leaning on his forearms again so he was face-to-face with her. "If you're the kind of girl I'd be set up with, who am I to turn down a blind date?"

She laughed at that and ducked her head. She was uncomfortable with being complimented. "Well, I'm never going on a blind date again, so feel free to skip out on any you're offered," she told him and he laughed. They looked at each other as the song on the jukebox switched over and Sam groaned. "I didn't peg you for a country music fan," Andy said and he glared at her.

"Some jackass put twenty bucks in the machine five minutes before closing," he sighed, pushing himself to stand. "I have no idea what's coming out of that thing."

"Why don't you turn it off?" She asked, tilting her head like she was really interested in what he had to say. He didn't like how she made him _want _to tell her with just a look.

"I hate closing this place without something to distract me," he explained and she nodded. She stretched her arms out so her fingers bent over the opposite end of the bar and she threw her head back as she stretched out. Sam watched her let out a deep breath, her chest heaving in the process. He swallowed hard and looked down at his feet when she sat up straight again. "But I guess I've got you to distract me tonight."

She smiled at that before letting out a small laugh. "Well, thank you for letting me stay for a drink," she said. "It's really very nice of you."

"Did I serve you when you were here earlier?" He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"No," she shook her head. She looked back at the table again and his eyes followed her, trying to remember who he saw there earlier.

"Your date?" He asked and she turned toward him again.

"God, no," she laughed. "You served my friend, Chris. And then I went on my date."

"Two guys in one night," he said, feigning shock. She laughed again and he was learning that he really liked being the one to make her laugh.

"Chris is like a brother," she told him, shaking her head. "He's in the academy with me. We're going to be working at the same division, too."

It took everything in Sam not to ask her which division it was, but he knew better. He needed to remain _the bartender._ "Listen, stay and finish your drink, but I've got to start closing up," he said and he noticed the look of confusion cross her features.

"Oh, yeah," she nodded. "I'll be quick."

"Take your time," he insisted, putting a hand on her wrist to stop her from throwing down the rest of her scotch. She smiled and his stomach turned again.

"Thank you," she said quietly and he nodded, pulling his hand back. He flexed his fingers and moved around to her side of the bar. As he made his way around the tables, flipping the chairs onto the surfaces as he went, he could feel her eyes burning holes in his back. The song switched again when he was facing her and they made eye contact as the music filled the room. Andy had a soft smile on her face, barely there, as everything stopped and they just stared at each other. "Do you dance, Sam?" She asked, sliding off the barstool.

"Uh," he choked on his surprise. "Not if I can help it."

"We need to dance," she said when she stopped in front of him.

"Why is that?" He asked quietly, looking _very _quickly at her lips.

"Listen to the song," she said, pulling him to stand in the middle of the room by the hand. Now that the chairs were all on the tables, there was plenty of room for them to dance. "It's called _We Danced_. So we _have _to dance."

She put her hands on his shoulders and when he didn't reciprocate, she sighed and pulled his hands to rest on her hips. "I didn't realize we were in middle school," he teased when her hands landed on his shoulders again. She laughed and slid her hand down his arm to lace her fingers through his. He moved the hand on her hip to rest on the small of her back and pulled her closer.

And they danced. Or swayed, rather. And Sam didn't take his eyes off of hers. Well, except for the times they slid down to her lips or the deep-v of her sweater. He tried his hardest to remain a gentleman, but when her grip on his shoulder tightened, he pulled her as close as humanly possible and his hand slid underneath the back of her shirt. She let out a shaky breath on his neck and he closed his eyes.

"Sam?" She said quietly.

"Hmm?" He hummed, opening his eyes. She let go of his hand and let her fingertips graze the 5 o'clock shadow on his chin. Their eyes met and she smiled as her hand slid to the base of his neck. "Andy?"

She answered him with a very soft kiss. It took him a second, but when he responded his free hand tangled in her hair and he walked her back toward the bar. What he was doing, kissing some woman he just met who was about to be a cop, was beyond him. But he could not find it in himself to stop or push her away. He only wanted to taste more of her. When her back hit the bar, she gasped and Sam got exactly what he wanted as his tongue slid into her mouth. She had no problem with that as she wrapped one arm tighter around his neck while the other slid down his chest until it landed on his belt. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled him even closer.

Then, the song changed to a loud rap song and Sam jumped back, rubbing a hand over his face. He watched Andy's arm fall to her side and she broke out in a laugh, doubling over while she hugged her stomach. When the laughing subsided, she found him still staring, amused, and she smiled. "I'm so sorry," she said and his mouth dropped open. "Like, _really _sorry."

He stepped closer to her, brushing hair behind her ear and smiled. "You should never apologize for that," he said and she smiled. "That blind date doesn't know what he was missing."

"Who said I didn't kiss him?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest with a cocky smile. Sam ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and quirked his eyebrow.

"You're right," he nodded. "You know, it hurts a little. I thought I was special," he teased and she laughed again.

"I didn't kiss him," she said, shoving his shoulder. "Are you kidding me? Although, I did just kiss you. And I didn't even get dinner out of it."

"You did get a drink," he reminded her and she nodded.

"Hey, Buddy," Sam's attention snapped toward the door at the sound of his street name and he found Anton Hill watching him. He looked quickly at Andy who was looking at her feet with a blush and turned back toward Hill.

"Yeah, Boss?" He asked, turning to shield Andy from Anton. He'd already seen her, but it was more for Sam's own piece of mind to keep her off his radar.

"Finish up with your girl and come meet me in the office," Hill said, walking across the bar toward the back office. "I've got a job for you."

Sam's eyes widened. Was he finally going to get a piece of the real business? When the door shut, he turned back to Andy who was now watching him. "I guess I should go," she said, reaching behind her for her purse. Sam nodded and stepped toward her until there was barely any space between them. He didn't want to say goodbye, but he had to focus on work. Who knows, maybe they'd end up in the same division when all this with Hill was over.

"I'm glad you lost your purse," he said quietly and she smiled.

"You know what?" She asked, standing on her toes. "So. Am. I," she said before kissing him quickly.

He wanted to offer to call her, but he couldn't do that while she was in the academy and he was undercover. It just wasn't possible. "Goodnight, Andy," he said and she fell back on her heels. She was definitely expecting him to at least ask for her number.

"Goodnight, Sam," she said and he stepped back so she could slide past him.

He let out a deep breath as he watched her walk away. When she reached the door, she turned toward him and waved. He raised his hand in return and she ducked outside. Cracking his neck, Sam turned toward the office and let himself in.

"Girlfriend?" Anton asked, gesturing to the seat for Sam to sit down.

"Customer," he said, stretching out his legs in front of him. "She left her purse here earlier and came to pick it up after closing."

"Too bad," he shrugged, leaning back in his chair behind the desk. "She's cute."

At that, Sam laughed and nodded. "She is," he agreed.

"Anyway, listen, I need some help tomorrow down at the docks," Anton said and Sam kept his face neutral despite the fact that he was soaring. "You know about my side business, right Buddy?"

"Just rumors, Boss," he shrugged and Anton Hill smiled like he was the proudest man in the world, like what he was doing was a _good _thing.

"Oh, they're all true," he said, crossing his arm and Sam smiled. "You tell anyone and I'll break your neck, alright?"

"You can trust me, Anton."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm still a little iffy on this AU thing, so forgive me if this isn't up to snuff. I'm going to keep going for it, though, even though it's not the best I've written. I have a vision, so let's see if I can get it there.**

Three weeks later, Sam walked into the bar after a day working in one of Hill's warehouses. He'd been at it all day and he still had to close the bar. He understood it to be some kind of hazing ritual; he was working about 18 hours a day. The only time he had off was the drive from the warehouse to the bar and he spent that time on the phone with his handler, Boyd. Needless to say, he was exhausted. So, when he got to the bar, he didn't want to be thrown right in. But, of course, he was.

"Hey, Buddy," Mick, the other bartender, greeted him. "That guy at the end just came in. Take his order while I clear out?"

"You got it," Sam said, turning to the other end of the bar. He stopped short when he noticed a familiar face smirking over at him.

"You alright, Bud?" Mick asked from behind him and he had to shake himself out of it.

"Yeah," he said, smiling over his shoulder before walking over.

"Buddy?" The customer said and Sam nodded before checking to make sure there was no one around to hear their conversation. "Is that like a term of endearment?"

"No," Sam said forcefully. "It's my name. I'm Buddy, Sir."

"Come on, Bud. You know you don't need to call me 'Sir'. It's Tommy."

"What can I get you, Tommy?" Sam asked, relaxing a little. Tommy McNally used to be a detective at his division. He was forced into an early retirement when his drinking became an issue- not too long before Sam started working undercover.

"Whiskey," he said, looking at the shelf behind Sam. "Cheapest stuff you got."

Sam nodded and turned back to get a glass and fill it up. He could tell this wasn't Tommy's first glass of the night, but he was still sitting upright and his words weren't slurring. When he turned around to slide the glass over to the disgraced detective, he swallowed. "I'm only going to serve you one more of these, Tommy," he told him and he could see the heat in his eyes. "You've already had some tonight."

"It's still early," Tommy said, taking a small sip. He knew if Sam was being honest, he needed to take it slow. "And, you know, I've got a ride later."

"I'm going to keep an eye on you," Sam said before turning to the rest of his patrons.

* * *

The night was slow, but Tommy stuck around for a while. And he took his time on the two drinks that Sam had given him. They didn't talk much after their initial interaction; Sam couldn't really risk it. He knew Tommy understood he was undercover, but he had no idea what a few more drinks might do to change that. He needed to be careful- especially in Anton Hill's bar when he was _so _close to the inside.

Sam was talking to a girl, his arms crossed over his chest, when the door opened and a nervous smile caught his eye. He looked at Andy and smiled, licking the inside of his teeth, before he turned back to the girl at the bar. "Vodka rocks, right?" He asked, cutting her off. She stammered and nodded and he poured her drink before walking over to where Andy stood.

"Do you have a hole I could fall into right now?" She asked when he reached her. His brow furrowed and she laughed, looking over toward the end of the bar. "I was hoping you wouldn't be here."

"Ouch," Sam laughed. "That hurts."

She looked over again and sighed. "Baby!" Tommy yelled and Sam's eyes widened. "How do you know this guy?" He asked, putting his arms over Andy's shoulders when he was next to her.

"I was here a few weeks ago, Dad," Andy explained, peeling the arm from around her and sitting him back on a stool.

"Dad?" Sam sighed, nodding to himself and Andy nodded. She looked embarrassed and he felt like his world was falling around him. Things were getting complicated now and he needed to get the both of them out of the bar. "You're his ride?"

"I am," she nodded. "I'll get him out of your hair."

Sam looked over at Tommy who was watching his daughter. "You were here on your date?" He asked suddenly and Sam smiled at the redness in Andy's cheeks.

"No," she shook her head. "Same night, though. I was here with Chris beforehand and I came by after to get my purse that I left behind."

"Huh," Tommy said, standing up. Sam closed his eyes and looked at his feet. He didn't want to admit to kissing Tommy McNally's daughter while he was undercover. Especially not to Tommy McNally. "Well, we should go."

"Yeah, we should," Andy said and she smiled up at Sam. This time it wasn't embarrassed or nervous, it was just like it was on the first night they met. "Goodnight, Sam."

All of the breath left his lungs when she said his name. And he definitely didn't miss the dark look from Tommy at the realization, either. He swallowed hard, nodded once. "Goodnight," he said, wishing they would get out before anything else came out of one of their mouths.

Andy gave him one last look before pulling on Tommy's hand for him to stand. Sam watched them leave and let out a sigh of relief when the door closed behind them. He turned back to a customer and refilled a drink when Tommy came back and nodded him to the end of the bar again. Sam took a deep breath and looked around before following him.

"She knows your name?" Tommy asked quietly when Sam reached him and Sam nodded. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he lied, clenching his fists beneath the bar to stay calm. "We talked. I slipped up. I didn't think I'd ever see her again."

"You won't," Tommy said and it sounded like a promise. "Not while you're here."

"I get it, Tommy," Sam sighed. "Believe me; nothing happened."

"Good," he nodded and Sam rested his palms against the bar. "Because she starts work next week and the last thing you need is a rookie on your arm while you're working for some druglord."

"Tommy," Sam said, looking at the nearly empty bar. "You should go. You don't need to worry about anything. I met her once."

"Oh, look at that," Tommy said, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. "I had it on me the whole time."

Sam nodded at his cover up and Tommy clapped him on the shoulder before leaving for the last time. He rubbed a hand over his face and stood up straight, pushing both of the McNally's out of his head as he went back to work.

* * *

He worked through the quiet night, cleaning as much as he could as he went along so he could get out as soon as humanly possible. Two weeks straight of the same 18 hour days and he was surprised he was still standing. Honestly, he could feel his eyelids slipping closed every time a customer walked out. Until he was alone.

Tommy and Andy had really thrown him off earlier in the day. He was more than happy to have a day off from both jobs the next day because he was sure he'd slip up. The exhaustion mixed with his uneasiness was a death sentence and Sam Swarek wasn't ready to die.

The music filled the bar as he made his way around the tables, lifting chairs along the way. He walked toward the door, ready to lock it, when someone walked in. He threw his head back and let out a long sigh which just earned him a laugh. A laugh he knew.

"We're closed," he smiled and Andy nodded, walking toward him. "Again."

"I know," she shrugged, her eyes making their way from his chest to his lips until they finally met his. "I'm sorry about earlier tonight. My dad can be kind of-"

"Andy, don't worry about it," he insisted with a hand on her shoulder. He dropped it immediately, though, because really, he did know better. "I'm a bartender. I see that stuff all the time."

"You two seemed like you know each other," she said and he shrugged. "Does he come around here a lot?"

"Just a few times," he lied. And he didn't like the way lying to her made him feel. "He's not so bad. I've seen worse."

"I'm actually surprised he called me to pick him up," she admitted and he crossed his arms. "He wasn't as bad as he normally is."

Sam's heart broke a little at that. How often did she have to pick up her drunk father from a bar? It took him until that moment to realize how close the two of them were standing and he dropped his arms to his sides. "Why'd you come back?" He asked quietly and he could hear her swallow.

"I don't know," she laughed, shaking her head. "I dropped off my dad and his car hours ago. And I've just been sitting at home and the next thing I knew I was in a cab, on the way here."

She looked at him thoughtfully and he took another step toward her. Whatever he knew he should do- send her away- he just wanted to be close to her. He ran a hand down her bare arm and felt her shiver. "Andy, I'm the last guy you should be hanging around empty bars with," he whispered and she shrugged like she didn't care. "You're almost a cop."

"What's that have to do with anything?" She asked, putting her hand on his shoulder and he squeezed his eyes shut for a second.

"I'm a bartender," he said, letting his hand move from her wrist to her hip, angling her toward him. "And this is not exactly a cop bar."

Her fingers were grazing his neck as she watched him and he almost dropped his hands from her body. But, then she smiled and he found himself smiling back. If he were her training officer and found out she was hanging out with a bartender that worked for Anton Hill, he'd probably go right to Staff Sergeant Boyko. But he wasn't her training officer- as far as she knew, he was just some bartender.

"I was explicitly told not to hang out here actually," she admitted and his eyes widened. "At the academy. Detective Barber wouldn't tell me why, but when he found out that Chris and I were here..."

"I don't know cops," he lied. Jerry Barber wasn't just a cop- he was Sam's best friend. "But I'd listen to my superiors if I were you." He let his hands fall from her body finally, but she surprised him and pulled him closer. "Andy..." he sighed and she looked from his eyes to his lips and then back again. "This is a bad idea." As he said it, he knew it to be true, but his hands still felt their way from her hips to rest on her waist.

"Why didn't you ask for my number three weeks ago?" She asked quietly and he swallowed.

"Because this is a bad idea," he chuckled. She shook her head slowly. "You don't even know me."

"I'd like to," she said and it was his turn to shake his head. "Listen, guys suck. That's a fact. You don't seem to suck all that much."

"Well, thank you," he smiled, flattening a palm against the small of her back. "Things are complicated. And they'll only get more complicated if you fall for me."

"Or if you fall for me," she said, pulling her head farther back to get a good look at him and he nodded.

"Yeah," he said quietly. Falling for any girl undercover was a rookie mistake and Sam was no rookie. Falling for a cop who didn't know you were undercover, well, that's just dumb. "I may not seem like I suck, but you'll find out soon enough that I'm not all that great. So, let's just skip this part. I suck, Andy. I'm _definitely _not a guy for you to fall for. Not now."

"If not now, then when?" She asked and Sam scratched the back of his head.

"Just-" he started, licking his lips. "Just trust me, okay?"

"I'll trust you tomorrow," Andy said and he narrowed his eyes.

"What's tomorrow?"

"Well, it's the day after today," she smiled and he laughed.

"Okay," he said, running his hand down her back. "What's today?"

"Today's the day that you kissed me," she explained and his breath caught in his throat.

"I uh- I haven't kissed you," he smirked and she bit her lip.

"Oh, yeah," she smiled. "You should probably change that."

He laughed and tried to talk himself out of it. He really wanted to do the smart thing, the honorable thing, but then Andy ran her fingers through his hair and his fingers curled around her hip. "You're very confident," he said, lowering his lips toward hers.

"It's an act," she said quietly, her eyes on his lips. "But I really wish it wasn't, because all I want is for you to kiss me. There's something here and you know it."

Sam would be an idiot not to know it, but he was a damn good cop, too. And that needed to be his priority until he could complete the Anton Hill job. It just had to be. "You're not wrong," he told her and she smiled triumphantly. But then his hands fell from her body and he stepped away from her and her entire face plummeted. "But _this _is. Trust me, Andy."

"Okay," she said, throwing her hands out to her sides. "Fine."

"Listen to that detective," he continued, looking anywhere but her face. "Don't hang out here. That will make this easier."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, laughing sadly. "But, after tonight, you can bet I'm never showing my face around here again. I should have stayed away. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry," he insisted. "Honestly, I am. But eventually you'll understand what's happening."

"We kissed, what, twice?" She said, turning toward the door. "I don't need to understand what's happening. We're never going to see each other again. Two kisses one almost kiss. That's all there is to this story."

"Yeah," he said, barely aloud, and she turned to smile sadly at him.

"'Night," she said and he nodded, watching her leave.

He closed his eyes, ran his hand through his hair, and closed the bar. It was all he could do.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I really do enjoy writing this story, so I'm glad you guys like it. I'm working on the next chapter, so it shouldn't take too long to get that up.**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

Andy had been on the job for three months. She and her friends were halfway to their tie cutting ceremony and she was on cloud nine. After what happened with her and Sam, she put all of her energy on work and her friends. Guys were out of the picture. Andy had never been one to come on to a guy and now, after being rejected, she had absolutely no interest in trying again. That didn't stop Detective Callaghan from putting the moves on her, but it stopped her from falling for them.

"Parade room, now!" Noelle announced as she strode into the locker room, all business. Andy widened her eyes at Traci and they finished getting changed before jogging down to parade with the rest of their platoon.

She sat in the front row with Traci on one side and Chris on the other. Gail and Dov were behind them, arguing about something, as the room filled up. It was fuller than any of them had ever seen it- with cops, detectives, even a couple of white-shirts. Staff Sergeant Boyko walked to the front and the entire room went silent.

"Sam Swarek has been undercover for five months," he said, gesturing to the board next to him. Andy recognized the picture at the top, but she couldn't place where she'd seen the man. "Three months back, he fell into the position of Anton Hill's right hand man. And today," he stopped and laughed. "Well, today we get to bring Sammy home and put Hill behind bars."

The room clapped, but Andy just stared at the picture of Anton Hill. How the hell did she know him? She lost vision when Detective Boyd stepped in front of the board. "Okay," he said clapping his hands once. "We're going to Hill's warehouse on Watercress," he said, tacking a picture of the building up under Hill's face. "There, we will find Sammy and the rest of Hill's associates. Hill doesn't normally make it in to the warehouses, but today is a special day. Today, Hill is checking his product. Today is the day we put his ass in jail."

"We've got to arrest Sam like the rest of the guys," Boyko said, leaning his forearms on the podium. "Shaw, you've got McNally today and I want one of you to get him in your car. Alone. Stuff three to any other squad, I don't care. But I want Sammy in 1519 alone. Got it?"

Andy looked back at Oliver who nodded at her and then turned toward the front again. "Got it," he said and Andy smiled, turning around.

"Good," Boyko said. "You're going to get him in an interrogation room as soon as you're back here. Detective Boyd will be the _only _one to ask him about the operation, so make sure you keep it professional out there."

"Yes, sir," Oliver said. When Andy looked back at him, he was smiling from ear to ear. Detective Barber, Noelle, and Frank looked pretty happy, too. She didn't know much about this Swarek guy, but she was starting to understand that he wasn't just some random UC guy. He was a part of 15's family and his family was happy to see him coming home.

As Boyko and Boyd finished handing out assignments, Andy met Oliver near the back of the room. "Ready, McNally?" He asked and she nodded, wide eyed. He smiled, patted her on the back, and gestured for her to lead the way to the squad car.

Everyone was moving quickly and purposefully. There was no room for error and the intensity in people's faces was starting to make Andy a little nervous. She slid into the car and waited for Oliver to get behind the wheel. "So, this Swarek guy, he's been with 15 a while?" She asked and Oliver nodded, following the line of cars down the road.

"We came out of the academy together," he explained. "He worked the streets for a while, but he's been focusing on UC stuff for the last three years. Boyd's already got another assignment for him in mind."

"So, why are we the ones who are going to arrest him?"

"Don't know, McNally," he shrugged, turning down a side street, still following closely behind the line of cars, with another line behind him. This wasn't just a bust for 15; there were squads from all over the city on their way to that warehouse. "I'm just doing as I'm told. You should take notes," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes and turned to look out the window. As soon as she turned her head, she realized how close they were to Watercress and all at once, the cars ahead of them turned left and slowed way down. Pulling up outside of the warehouse was like a silent movie. They'd discussed it back at the station and everyone understood that they needed to get in position, keep low and quiet until just the right moment.

"Hey," Oliver whispered and she whipped her head toward him again. "You've got this, McNally. We've all got this, okay? It's just another day on the job. And in twenty minutes, we'll be back in this car on our way back to the barn. All right?"

"Okay," she nodded as it was their turn to get out of their car and get into position. They were there only for Swarek, so they stood back a bit and let the others break down doors and lead the way. Andy heard the yells, the running, and a few grunts as men got taken down.

Once inside, she noticed the men who weren't fighting were on their knees, as they were instructed, with their heads toward the ground. Orders were called for arrests to be made as Andy noticed Anton Hill being dragged out by Detective Boyd. And the feeling in her gut that told her she'd seen him before got stronger. Oliver holstered his gun and she followed suit, watching as he dragged a man to his feet.

The laugh she let out was involuntary, really, but it was just her luck. Oliver narrowed his eyes as he looked over Sam's shoulder while he cuffed him and she let her head fall.

"Oliver!" Noelle called and Oliver walked Sam over to Andy and handed him off.

"To the car," Oliver said as her hand circled Sam's arm. "Now, McNally," he insisted before turning back to help Noelle with another one of Hill's associates.

Andy walked Sam out of the warehouse, following a couple of other officers with their arrests, and as soon as they hit the sunlight, Sam grunted. "I get that it's supposed to look real, but could you get your elbow out of my kidney?" He asked quietly.

Andy sighed, leaning further into him for a second to make it hurt a little, and then loosened her hold on him. She got him in the car, closed the door, and looked around the parking lot. Oliver was nowhere to be found and he had the keys, so she slid into her seat and waited.

A few minutes of silence and she was sure the side of her head was going to burn from the heat in Sam's gaze from the backseat. "Stop staring at me," she said and she could see his smile from the rearview mirror.

"I did tell you that you'd understand," he said and she turned in her seat to get a good look at him. "And now you do."

"Now I am mortified," she told him. "God, getting rejected by a bartender is one thing, but a senior officer? We danced. Oh my god, I danced with you."

At that, Sam laughed and she glared at him, silencing him immediately. "Please don't tell anyone that," he said. "I don't dance. At all. Not even at Oliver's wedding."

"Oh, I won't be telling anyone that I've ever even _spoken _to you," she promised, turning back to face the windshield. "We never danced. I never kissed you. And I _sure as hell_ never begged you to kiss me."

"You didn't beg," he said quietly and she swallowed, trying to ignore him. "And, I've been very proud of myself the past three months, you know? It took a lot for me not to kiss you. You should be proud of me, too."

Andy's eyes widened and she turned slowly to glare at him again. Just as her eyes met his smiling ones, the door opened and Oliver sat down. "So, I see you're getting to know McNally," he said, smiling. Andy turned back to face forward, smiling tightly at Oliver on the way.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, sitting back in his seat. "How've you been, Brother?"

"Good, good," Oliver nodded. "Happy to be on your way home?"

"You have no idea," Sam shook his head and Andy peered at him through the rearview mirror. Their eyes met for a second and she looked down at her lap.

"I hear Boyd's got something lined up for you," Oliver mentioned, pulling out of the warehouse's lot. There was still a lot going on inside, but per Boyko's orders, they needed to get back to 15. "You're leaving in three weeks, right?"

"I don't think so," Sam said. It was quiet, like he wasn't sure he meant what he said. "I'm thinking about putting the uniform back on. You know, at least for a little while."

"Good," Oliver said, smiling quickly at Andy. She nodded even though, as far as Oliver was concerned, she didn't know Sam. "We've got five rookies this year, we could use another TO."

"Oh, yeah?" Sam laughed. "How are they?"

"Surprisingly good," he answered and Andy smiled to herself. Oliver- none of the senior officers, really- never said as much to their faces, but it was nice to know. "Chris Diaz is very by the book, but he's strong and fast and he really knows what he's doing. Traci Nash, she's got detective written all over her. And it has nothing to do with her dating Jerry, either. She's a natural. Dov Epstein is a lot to handle, but he's enthusiastic. He wants to be here and he wants to do a good job. Then, we have a Peck-"

"Oh boy," Sam laughed from the back and Oliver joined in.

"Yeah, but she's good, too. Competitive as all hell, but it only makes her better. And, of course, we've got McNally, another legacy," he said, smiling at her quickly. The realization of Sam's connection to her father hit her all too quick. And when she dared to look back at Sam, she could see that he knew exactly what she was thinking. "McNally's got a big heart. She's good because she cares more than most."

"Thanks," she muttered, looking back at her lap.

"Well, then it looks like another TO is definitely in order," Sam said as they pulled up outside of 15. Andy heard him take in a deep breath and she looked at him again. She studied the way his eyes crinkled when he squinted out at the barn, how he licked his lips when they pulled inside, and how his face fell just a little when Oliver took the keys from the ignition. She could tell he was torn- ready to be over with the Anton Hill case, but not quite ready to be back at home.

Oliver got Sam out of the backseat as Andy closed her door. She followed them into booking where they waited quietly by the door for Boyd to get Anton Hill alone in a room. Andy watched Sam again as he watched his handler and his target. He was proud of himself and he was happy to see Anton Hill where he belonged for once. Oliver was watching Sam, too, but she noticed when his eyes shifted from him to her and she looked down at her feet. She knew without having to be told that her face was giving off more than she would have liked. Staring at Sam, three months after being rejected and confused, was dangerous.

All three of them watched as Boyd smirked back at them and led Anton Hill to an interrogation room. Then, Oliver nodded to the officer in charge of booking and led them down the hall to another interrogation room. Oliver uncuffed Sam and clapped him on the back. "I'm going to check in with Boyko, see if he needs me for anything, and grab us some coffees," he said and Sam nodded. Andy just looked straight ahead, waiting for her orders. "McNally, stay in here with Sam and make sure no one but me or Boyd come in, okay?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded. Oliver smiled at Sam before hugging him and left them alone. As soon as the door fell shut behind him, Andy looked up at Sam who smiled at her and sat down. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, looking down at her feet. She felt like the two of them should probably discuss what happened three months earlier, but she had no idea how to broach the subject. Things were going to be awkward between them and that was just something she had to accept.

"We never kissed," Sam said suddenly and she looked up from the floor slowly. "If that's the way you want to play this, then fine. We never kissed. We've never even met."

"I wasn't even supposed to be there that second night," she reminded him. "And now you're going to be my training officer. We kind of have to keep it that way, don't we?"

"Not really," he shrugged, standing up again. She stood up straight, aware of him coming closer to her. "We should keep it between ourselves, but we don't have to pretend with each other."

"We kissed twice, we almost kissed again," she reminded him, stepping around him to sit down in the chair he had just vacated. Really, she just didn't want him to come any closer and make her heart beat any faster. Being alone with him made it easier to remember why it is she went back to the bar and tried to kiss him again. "You were undercover and I was naive to think that there was anything between us."

"There was," he said, sitting down across from her. "And I told you that, but I couldn't do anything about it, Andy. I _was _undercover and you had no idea. And I couldn't tell you the truth and I didn't like the idea of lying to you. I don't get feelings for strangers in bars. I've never been that guy, but I danced with _you_."

As she took in what he had just said, the door opened and they both tore their eyes from each other to see who it was. "Oliver is helping out with some of the questioning," Luke Callaghan said and Andy nodded. He put down coffees between her and Sam and stepped back toward the door. "Good to see you back, Sammy."

"Yeah," he nodded, turning his cup in his hand. "Thanks, Callaghan."

"Andy, he asked that you hang out here until Boyd gets finished up with Hill," he said and she nodded again. "If you need anything, give me a call," he offered with his blinding smile that made his blue eyes shine.

"Thank you," she smiled back and he nodded once before leaving her alone with Sam again. She looked down at the cup in front of her and felt a kick on her shin. When her eyes met Sam's she had a hard time keeping the smile off her face.

"He likes you," Sam smirked and she laughed. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not wrong," she admitted, looking back at the closed door. "But, uh, I'm not interested."

"No?" He asked and she shook her head, looking back at him. "Why not?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully. "Traci and Gail think I'm being dumb and should at least go on a date, but I don't feel anything for him. I have to give him credit for trying, but I don't think he's worth a date. Which makes me feel like a terrible person because he's a really good guy, but-"

She cut herself short when she realized she was rambling. And she noticed the amused smirk on Sam's face, too. She sat back in her seat, threw her head over the back and sighed. "Callaghan doesn't suck," Sam said and she looked at him again. She remembered telling him that most guys _do _suck and insisting that he didn't. "I don't either. I lie about sucking, but I don't _actually_ suck."

"You're very good at your job," Andy said and he narrowed his eyes. "I believed every word you said to me. And I'm trained to know better. But you are very good."

"Okay, so I lie on the job, too," he said, leaning onto his forearms. "But it's my _job_. You understand that, you just want a reason to stay mad at me."

"Don't pretend like you know me, Sam," she warned him, crossing her arms over her vest. "You don't."

"I'd like to," he smiled and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Please don't use my words against me," she whispered, opening her eyes again. "You rejected me because it was the right thing to do. I do understand that now. But there's a good chance that you're going to be my training officer in a couple of days. You can't flirt with me like we're normal people that met in a bar one night. Remember what _you _said; things will only get more complicated if I fall for you."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Here it is! Sorry for the delay! **

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing! You're awesome!**

Andy spent a total of two hours in that interrogation room with Sam. They didn't talk about much else and she wouldn't let him talk about the times they met in the bar. She just didn't want to think back to it and being stuck alone with him made it hard not to reach out and touch him. She remembered how rough his hands felt against her own and how strong his shoulders were and how the hair on the back of his head was softer than it looked. She remembered how his lips felt against hers and how his eyes got a little darker everytime they drifted from her eyes to her lips. It happened once three months before, but she remembered it all.

Sam had said he wasn't the kind of guy to fall for strangers in a bar, and neither was she. She'd only ever kissed, slept with, or dated men that she had known for a while; people she went to school with or people she worked with. Sam was the first person she'd kissed on the same day she met him. And she knew there was a reason for it, but she didn't want to think too hard about what that reason was. She didn't need things to get any more complicated than they were.

After Boyd came in and promptly kicked her out, she was put on patrol with Chris for the rest of their shifts. It was the first time they got to ride without training officers, but neither seemed too excited about it. Andy was thinking about Sam and all of the ways she could make things worse- things like kissing him again or, at least, flirting back with him the next time he tried. And Chris's mind was on Gail. He thought them sleeping together was a big secret, but Andy had gotten the truth out of Dov a week or so earlier.

The two of them just drove together, in near silence, for the rest of their shifts. They pulled over two cars that were speeding, they broke up a fight outside of a convenience store, but they made no arrests for the remainder of the day. When they got back to the station, they were met by Gail and Traci outside of the locker rooms. "You spent your morning locked in a room with him?" Gail asked, nodding toward Sam where he was with Jerry and Noelle.

"Yeah," she said as they walked over to the kitchen. From where she was standing waiting for her coffee to brew, she could still see him.

"He's coming back to 15, right?" Traci asked and Andy shrugged.

"He's badass," Chris said and everyone but Andy nodded in agreement. "Who needs a ride to the Penny?"

"Me please," Gail said, smiling at him. As she walked by him, Andy noticed her hand grazing the back of his.

"Me, too?" Andy asked and Chris nodded before following Gail. "Are you coming or do you have Leo?" Andy asked Traci about her son.

"I've got Leo," she answered. It wasn't sad, like she was missing out on time spent with her friends. It was happy, like she finally got to go home and spend some quality time with her kid. "So, is that Swarek guy nice?"

"Nice enough," Andy said, leaning back against the counter, bringing her coffee to her lips. She watched him through the window as Traci leaned next to her. "I'm sure you know more about him than I do. I mean, he is best friends with your boyfriend."

"Yeah, which means he's biased," she laughed. "He's really happy he's back, though. And that he's staying. What did the two of you talk about for two hours?"

Andy ripped her eyes away from Sam's smile to look at her best friend. Traci was watching her, waiting for an answer, and she wanted to tell her everything. But she couldn't, especially not while they were at work. "Not much," she said with a shrug. "I mean, we weren't allowed to talk about the operation, so we didn't have much to say to each other."

"Right," Traci nodded, pushing herself to stand. "I should go. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," Andy smiled. She watched Traci leave and then walk by Jerry, running her hand across his shoulders. She smiled at the subtle gesture until she saw Sam smiling back at her. She turned back toward the counter and took a long sip of her coffee, wishing it was something a little bit stronger. She threw the rest of it out and walked to the locker room to get changed. Gail waited for her and they walked out together to find Chris and Dov waiting for them against the wall. Andy smiled at them and Gail walked ahead of her to walk out with Chris.

"Has she told you yet?" Dov whispered and Andy shook her head.

"She's not going to," she told him. "Gail doesn't talk about her personal life. With anyone. The only reason you know is because you live with Chris."

"They can't keep it a secret forever," Dov argued and she smiled.

"Obviously," she laughed. "I figured it out. Let's just see how long they can keep trying."

Once they reached the parking lot, it was raining and they jogged the rest of the way to Chris's Jeep. The guys got into the front and Andy slid in next to Gail. Now that Sam was out of sight, she found it easier to push him out of her mind. She was able to be in the moment with her friends. The morning had been hectic for everyone; the Anton Hill bust was one of the biggest of 15's history and most of the division had been occupied with it all day. The rookies were there for the initial take down, but the rest of the day, they were pushed away so that the case was in the most capable of hands. When they pulled into the Penny, they knew it would be packed with the other officers- the ones who had worked the case from top to bottom- but Andy was still a little shocked to see just how many people were there. It took Chris three laps around the lot for a spot to open up.

They ran inside and Andy wiped her hands over her rain jacket, soaking Gail with the water. "Bitch!" She joked, pushing her to the side and Andy laughed until she hit someone.

"Sorry," she said quickly, steadying herself. When she looked up, she rolled her eyes and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Sam asked. He was smiling and she was so focused on the deep set of his dimples that it took her a second to nod.

"Sorry," she said again, glaring back at Gail who was looking on with a smile. She looked down at the hand on her shoulder and Sam dropped it immediately. "I guess this is a little like a welcome home party, huh?"

"A little," he shrugged, nodding toward the bar. She followed him and let her friends find them a table. "It's more of a 'we got the biggest scumbag in Toronto off the streets' party," he smirked.

"Well, it was your doing," she said, smiling tightly. She waved the bartender over and ordered two pitchers while Sam stood beside her and watched her. "Shouldn't you be off, catching up with your friends? I mean, you've seen me more in the last five months than you have them."

"That's actually true," he laughed, looking across the bar to see his friends in question. He looked back at her just as her two pitchers were set down. "Listen, I'm sorry things are... weird between us. If I had known we'd end up at the same division I would have-"

"Pushed me away the first time we met?" She asked and his eyes fell to the bar. She couldn't help but think that would make things less weird, but she also didn't want to forget how he tasted that night or felt underneath her hands.

"I guess I don't really know," he sighed.

"You were right earlier today," she told him, curling her fingers around each of her pitchers' handles. He waited for an explanation and she sighed. "I guess we were both right. You don't suck. It would make things a whole lot less weird if you did."

He smiled at that and she smiled back. She ducked her head and walked to the table where she found her friends. "Fast friends," Gail remarked as soon as she sat down.

"Not really," Andy shrugged, pushing the beer toward her friends. "I forgot glasses. I'll be right back."

They all looked at her as she made her way back to the bar. Sam was gone and she found him with his friends on the other side of the room. He laughed and turned toward her, his face lighting up as his eyes met hers. She smiled back and took the glasses that were put in front of her. He was going to make things more difficult if he kept smiling at her like that.

* * *

As the crowd at the Penny started to thin out and the beer on the table started to disappear, Andy walked over to the bar to order something else to drink. She wasn't driving and didn't have to work until the afternoon shift, so why not? As soon as she got to the bar, she was handed a scotch. "How did you know?" She asked, looking from the drink to the bartender.

"I didn't," he smiled, nodding over to the other end of the bar. She looked and found Sam watching her, tipping his water in her direction. She lifted her glass, smiled tightly, and turned back to her table.

"Do you want this?" She asked Gail, sliding over her glass.

"Don't you?" She asked, taking it.

"I ordered it, but I changed my mind," she said. She pulled on her rain jacket and smiled. "I'm going to head out. See you guys tomorrow."

"Let me give you a ride," Chris said. "We're almost done."

"Don't worry about it," she smiled. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Okay," he nodded and they all watched as she walked outside, pulling on her hood.

The rain was more of a mist now, so she decided to skip a cab and walk. She wasn't sure why Sam buying her a drink got her worked up enough to leave, but it did. Maybe it was because it reminded her of the night they met and she knew they couldn't relive that. Maybe it was a little unsettling that he remembered she liked scotch. Maybe it made her realize that he actually did feel for her the way she felt for him all those months ago.

She wasn't far from her street when a truck pulled up beside her. She kept looking straight ahead, ignoring it as it followed close behind. When she heard the passenger window roll down, her curiosity got the better of her and she looked back. "Need a ride?" Sam called as he stopped right next to her. She sighed and shook her head. "Come on, Andy."

"Fine," she said. Getting in with him would be easier than fighting with him. Sam didn't drive away even after she buckled her seatbelt. "Are we going?" She asked, turning to look at him.

He smirked and started the truck. "I don't know where you live," he told her and she nodded to herself.

"Not far," she told him. "Go straight and take a right on Oak," she advised and he drove on. "Why'd you leave the bar?"

"Why did you leave?" He asked, turning to look at her quickly. "You didn't even drink the scotch I bought you."

"No, but I'm sure Gail did," Andy said, looking down at her fingernails. Anything to avoid looking at him.

"Things are awkward, Andy," he said and she laughed humorlessly. He turned onto her street and she pointed to an apartment.

"I know," she said when he pulled up to the curb.

"They don't have to be," he told her and turned in his seat so he was looking directly at her. "And when I get back to work next week, I don't want them to be."

"So, what do you want, Sam?" She asked, turning to face him head on. She watched as he took a deep breath and leaned over the center console. His fingers swept through her hair and he pulled her toward him. She should have pushed him away, but when his lips found hers, she actually pulled him closer. She got onto one knee so that she could lean into him more and his hand moved up the back of her thigh until it rested on her hip. As soon as his thumb hit the bare skin under her jacket and shirt, she pulled herself away and sat back against the window. "That just made it worse."

"No it didn't," he insisted, running his hand through his hair. "I've wanted to do that all day. For the past three months, I've wanted to go back to the night in the bar that I didn't do that just so I could _do it_. We barely know each other, but other than Anton Hill, you are the only thing that I have thought about since the night I met you."

"I didn't know I had such stiff competition," she said and he laughed. She smiled at him and then shook her head. "We can't do this. I'm a rookie. You're about to be my TO. That is actually against the rules."

"I've never been great with rules," he admitted with a shrug.

"Well, I'm so glad it's your job to uphold them," she laughed and he smiled so his dimples came out and she nearly melted at the sight. "I follow rules. It's who I am."

"Then tell me why you came back to the bar even though Jerry told you not to," he countered and she crossed her arms. "What harm would it do if you and I kept doing this?" He asked, gesturing between them.

"We do this," she started, sitting up straight to look him in the eye. "And we get comfortable doing this, we spend nights together, show up at work around the same time, and we get messy. People find out, _Boyko _finds out, and I get fired. Because they sure as hell won't fire the guy who just took down Anton Hill. No, they'll fire the doe-eyed rookie who's daddy was forced into early retirement because he couldn't take the job as seriously as he took the bottle. And my entire life will turn into a joke because I fell for some guy that knows enough to push me away while he's undercover but not enough to let me walk away while he's my training officer."

She watched his face fall and she knew that he agreed with her. And even though they didn't know each other very well, she knew that he wouldn't let that happen to her. "I'm sorry," he said quietly and she nodded.

"Can you promise not to kiss me the next time we're alone together?" She asked and he laughed, nodding. "Okay. Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight, Andy."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thanks again for all the reviews. You're awesome and I'm glad you're liking the story. I know there's been a lot of back and forth in here about _why _things can't work out between Sam and Andy, but let me tell you, you've got more to look forward to. I think this may be the last chapter for awhile with the same conversation between them. So, keep on reading because we've got some fun ahead for us!**

When Sam walked into the station the next week, his first day back, he took his time getting to the locker room. He tried hard not to bump into anyone in the parking lot so he could make the walk on his own. He made sure to get a good look at everyone that passed him, trying to gauge just how much had changed since he had been gone. Nothing really jumped out at him until he saw the five rookies walk inside together. He figured it out as soon as he was done with Boyd's questioning the week before, but he could see how close the five of them were. He could see it in the way they looked at each other, the way they spoke to each other, and the way they seemed totally comfortable in each other's presence. Well, until Andy spotted him and stopped short, causing her friends to nearly trip over her.

She recovered quickly enough and apologized to them before walking into the women's locker room with the other two while the guys walked into their locker room. He shook his head to himself; he knew it would be awkward between them, but he was hoping she'd be a little more subtle about it. He could kind of see why she had reservations about them starting something and trying to keep it under wraps; she would be terrible at it.

"Are you just going to stand here all day?" Oliver asked from behind him and he smiled before turning toward him. "Come on, Sammy. It's a big day."

He nodded and let Oliver lead him into the locker room with an arm around his shoulders. The two rookies were getting changed, talking about some video game, when Sam and Oliver strode past them. Sam didn't miss it when their conversation paused and their eyes followed him. When he got to his locker, though, he looked at them quickly and they averted their eyes and continued talking to each other. Sam smiled to himself and opened up his locker to find three new uniforms hanging up. He took one out and looked it over- it had been a while since he wore one, but he was surprisingly ready for the task.

When he started working undercover, he thought he'd never put the uniform back on unless he was forced to. And he felt that way up until he started working alongside Anton Hill. Five months was his longest stint undercover and the Hill case was the biggest of his career. You'd think he'd want to continue his streak, but he found himself just wanting to sleep in his own bed for longer than a month. He wanted to see his friends and actually be able to talk to them. He wanted to drive his truck and not some crappy undercover sedan. He wanted to walk into the station and be surrounded by people he knew, people that he cared about. He didn't want to have to take on a new identity every few months and pretend to be someone he wasn't. He wanted to go back to basics and just be a cop for a little while.

When he finished getting changed, he looked up and saw that the two rookies were still in the locker room. He figured they'd be long gone since they were nearly dressed when he got inside, but there they stood. The smaller one was facing him and he could see his eyes shifting over to him every few seconds. He was about to put them out of their misery and just introduce himself when he heard Oliver chuckle behind him.

"Epstein, use your words," he said, pulling on his vest. Sam smirked and Epstein cleared his throat before dragging the other one over.

"Sir, I'm Dov Epstein," he said, holding his hand out. Sam shook it and looked him up and down. Which one was he? The enthusiastic one, right.

"Sam Swarek," he said, letting his hand fall before looking up at his friend. "And you are?"

"Chris Diaz, Sir" he answered, shaking his hand. Sam remembered vaguely that he was the one at the bar with Andy the night they met. "Welcome back."

"Thanks, Diaz," he said, sticking both hands into his pockets. "How long have you guys been at 15?"

"Three months," Epstein answered. His back was as straight as an arrow and Sam had to hold back a condescending smile at his willingness to impress him.

"Good," he nodded, turning just his head to look at Oliver. He was not holding back his smile and Sam nearly laughed. "Well, I'll, uh, see you in Parade."

"See you in Parade," Diaz said, pushing Epstein toward the door.

"Are they always that... nervous?" Sam asked, turning back to Oliver.

"I think you impressed them, Brother," he laughed. "You might be their new hero after the Hill case."

"Ah jeez," Sam sighed, closing his locker. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Oliver laughed, clapping him on the back.

They made their way to Parade together, eventually being joined by Jerry and Noelle on their way down the hall. It was all starting to fall into place- as soon as he walked into that room, he'd be back 100%. He was ready to be back, but he was also a little nervous. Walking through that door meant there was no going back. When Andy and her friends cut them off to make sure they weren't late, Sam found himself walking a little faster into that room. Suddenly, it wasn't so terrifying to be back.

He and his friends made their own way into the room, staying toward the back as Frank took the podium. "All right everyone, settle down," he said, holding tightly to the edges of the podium. "Today is Sammy's first day back and it's my frist day as your new Staff Sergeant."

The room clapped and Sam was kind of pleased that his return was overshadowed by his friend's promotion. He didn't need anymore attention on him than there already was. So, he listened to Frank's briefing just as everyone else did, as if he'd been there all along. It actually felt like he had been. He could almost forget the last few years undercover, especially the last five months. And when he noticed Andy's profile in front of him and saw her eyes watching him, he decided that it really was good to be home.

"Epstein, you're with Shaw. Diaz with Williams. Nash and Peck, you're going to stay behind with Callaghan and Barber. And McNally," Frank smiled then, looking up at Sam. He knew what it meant, what was about to come out of his mouth, and he wasn't sure if the feeling in his gut was relief or dread. "You're with Swarek. Take it easy on him on his first day back, okay?"

She nodded and Sam could see her shoulders sag at the news. Dread was quickly replacing any possible feelings of relief. Sitting in a car with her for the next nine hours wouldn't be an easy task, but he knew she felt the same. He was sure that the assignment had to do with their time together while Boyd was occupied with Hill. Frank would want him to be comfortable on his first day as a TO, so putting him with the only rookie he knew made sense.

Frank let them go and he watched Andy and the rest of the rookies walk out of the room and head straight for the coffee. "If they could, they'd do everything together," Jerry joked as he noticed what Sam was watching.

"Remind you of anyone?" Oliver asked and Sam laughed. When they first started- Sam, Oliver, Jerry, Noelle, and Frank- they were pretty much inseparable themselves.

"Ready?" Noelle asked Sam and he nodded. They followed the rookies to the kitchen and as soon as they entered, Nash and Peck joined Jerry on the way to the D's office. Epstein handed Oliver a coffee and they left. Diaz gave Noelle her tea and they headed out. And Sam stood by the door waiting for Andy to actually look at him.

He could hear her take a deep breath and watched her turn around to face him. He smiled at her and moved to stand next to her before pouring himself a cup of black coffee. She watched him in silence as he focused on the cup warming his hand. He'd never had to psych himself up for duty before, but today wasn't a normal day on patrol. If he had been partnered with anyone else, he'd be fine, but Andy wasn't anyone else. He looked at her again and she attempted a smile.

He had to say something; they couldn't go all day without saying anything to each other. "I'm sorry you're not getting what you wanted," she said quietly and he furrowed his brow. "You said you didn't want things to be awkward when you got back to work. Clearly, we're failing."

"Why don't we just head out?" He asked, taking a quick look around even though he knew they were alone. He didn't care if anyone picked up on something going on between them, but he knew how she felt about it. She nodded and they walked out to the squad car together.

As soon as they were alone in such an enclosed space, he could actually feel the tension between them. He tried to ignore it, to just start the car, but when he caught sight of her looking at him with her wide eyes, he fell back against his seat and rubbed a hand over his face. "It shouldn't be this..." she trailed off, looking down at her lap.

"I know," he agreed, sitting up again.

"It was one night," she laughed sadly. "Three months ago. It makes no sense that it's this hard."

"But it is," he sighed, turning his head to look at her. She was still looking down and he wanted to reach out to touch her face, to turn her head toward his. But he didn't.

"We should probably go," she said, looking out the windshield now. He nodded to himself and started the car.

* * *

Sam followed Andy out of the station after they finished booking their second arrest of the day. And it wasn't even noon. "Nice job," he told her as they stood across from each other at the car.

"Thanks," she said, shrugging one of her shoulders. "And thanks for talking me through it."

"That's my job, right?" He asked as he folded his arms on the roof of the car.

She mirrored him and nodded. "Are you hungry?" She asked.

He thought about it for a second and said, "Yes."

Andy smiled and got in and he waited a second before following her lead. He drove to the diner and she sat quietly, staring out her window. At a stoplight, he looked over at her and after a second she turned and made eye contact. She smiled nervously and he smiled back. "Light's green," she muttered and he quickly turned to drive ahead.

He had to get himself in check. It was one thing for her to catch him staring at her, it would be a completely other thing if someone else did. He wanted to respect her wishes because what she said the night in his truck was right. If they started dating, or even just slept together, and the wrong person found out about it, things would not end well. There was a high chance that she could get fired, especially with her father's past on her record, and after just half a day with her, he could tell she was a damn good cop. And she would only get better with more time on her side.

When he pulled into the parking lot and took the keys out of the ignition, Andy opened her door and got out without a single word. Sam sighed and followed her inside. By the time the door shut behind him, she was already sliding into the booth and he walked a little faster to slide in across from her. Within seconds, menus were put in front of them along with a couple glasses of ice water. Then, the waiter left them alone and Sam found himself staring at her again. She was studying the menu like it held the secret of the universe and her bangs were hanging in her eyes. She pushed them away every few seconds, but they kept falling. Eventually she gave up and refocused.

"My dad says hi," she said quietly, still looking down. He almost laughed, but just nodded in reply even though she wasn't looking. "Glad you're home safe."

"Tell him I said hi," he said and she looked up to smile at him. A real smile, not one of her nervous, awkward smiles that made him wish he'd never danced with her in the first place. "How is he?"

"He's... Fine," she said, her smile fading as her eyes bore holes into his. "You know him," she shrugged.

"Yeah, I do," he nodded.

"So, I'm guessing he didn't _actually _forget his wallet that night?"

"No," he laughed. "He told me to stay away from you."

"Ah, it all makes sense," she said with a quirk of her eyebrow. He bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head.

"He was right, Andy," he reminded her and she just shrugged again. "I'm sorry I pushed you away that night," he said quietly, leaning across the table to et closer. "And you know I didn't _want _to. But let's just remember that you were the last one to push someone away."

"And you know I don't _want _to, but that's life, Sam. And it's not a punishment for what happened three months ago. I know why you did what you did and you _were _right. And so am I," she argued, not nearly as quietly as he had. He smiled at her and she glared at him.

"You're not going to be a rookie forever, you know," he reminded her and he was happy to see her smiling back at him. He sat up and she crossed her arms and they watched each other. He'd said his peace, it was up to her now.

"You're not putting your life on hold for three months, Sam," she told him and he shrugged. She didn't realize just how good he was at putting his life on hold. Three years of undercover and he was a pro. "We can't put our lives on hold for something that may not be _anything_."

"It's _something, _Andy and you know it," he insisted and before she was able to say something their waiter came back to take their orders. He ordered quickly and watched Andy order for herself, smirking when the waiter left and she turned back to him.

"Well, we won't know for at least three months," she said and his smirk turned into a full blown smile. "But," she smiled, "Maybe never. You might fall madly in love with someone else tomorrow."

"Yeah, and Callaghan might actually convince you to get a drink with him," he countered and she actually laughed.

"Maybe," she said when she settled down and he took a long sip of his water.

Three months was _nothing _to Sam Swarek.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Here's the next chapter! I thought I'd get it to you quickly because there's not too much going on. It's more of a filler. Some juicy stuff coming up next, though. Stay tuned!**

"Oliver, why are you eating a sandwich at 9 in the morning?" Sam asked as they walked into Parade together. Oliver shrugged, wiping some mustard off his lip, and smiled. "Gross."

Sam had been back at work for two weeks. He'd ridden with each of the rookies and every time he got paired with someone new, he found himself wanting to be partnered with Andy more and more. It's not that the others weren't good, they just weren't her. After their lunch together during his first shift back, they fell into an easy afternoon. For whatever reason, the awkwardness had fallen away and they were able to have conversations that didn't keep going back to the times they met when he was undercover. She asked about his time before UC and he answered her. He asked about the academy and she told him everything that happened- starting with her first day and ending with her job at 15. She could talk and it made things a little easier for Sam because he preferred not to talk. He had no problem answering her myriad of questions, but offering up information was always a little tougher for him.

"Sammy, Brother, tell me you have the night off tomorrow," Jerry said, sliding into the seat next to him.

"I've got the night off tomorrow," he answered with a nod and Jerry smiled, clapping his back. "Why?"

"First official poker night since your return from the cold, harsh Toronto streets," Oliver chimed in before stuffing the last of his sandwich into his mouth.

"Tomorrow night?" Sam asked, looking between them and they both nodded. "Who else is in?"

"Frank and Callaghan," Jerry said and Sam's face dropped involuntarily. "I know, but he heard me and Ollie talking about it. We needed a fifth anyway."

"Okay, I'm in," he relented and Jerry smiled and stood up.

"Great, I'll see you later," he said, backing out of the room.

Sam watched Jerry bump into Frank on his way out and Frank laughed as he made his way up to the front of the room. Sam sat back in his seat and crossed his arms just as three of the rookies slid into the room at the last second. He turned to look at them sitting at the table across the aisle from him and Andy sat down right at the end- the last to arrive. Her vest wasn't even properly secured when Frank started to talk. He kicked her ankle from across the aisle and when she turned to look at him, she looked genuinely confused. He smirked and lifted his arm enough to point to his own vest and watched as she struggled with hers. When she was finished, she offered him a smile and he nodded before turning back to Frank.

He held back a smirk when he was paired with Andy for the day. Granted, they were told to set up a speed trap because numbers were down, but at least he didn't have to pretend to be interested in one of Diaz and Epstein's TV shows. Frank excused them all and he stood slowly with Oliver as Andy walked out with Peck and Epstein. As he was about to follow behind, to get out of the barn as soon as possible, Oliver stopped him.

"Diaz and Peck are sleeping together," he said and Sam's eyes widened.

"How do you know that?" He asked, looking out to see Andy quietly arguing with Peck and Epstein.

"Peck found out that McNally knew and started screaming at Epstein last night while I was in the shower," he explained. "Apparently Dov was the only other person that knew about it."

"Peck and _Diaz_?" Sam asked and Oliver nodded with a laugh. "Makes no sense."

"It's been going on for over a month now, apparently."

"You heard all of this from the shower?" Sam asked, smirking.

"I did," he confirmed proudly. Sam laughed and they walked out, past the arguing rookies, and into the kitchen.

Luke was in there alone and he smiled when Sam and Oliver entered. "So, poker tomorrow night?" He said and Sam nodded, moving around him to get to the coffee.

"My place, 7:00, don't be late," Oliver reminded him and he nodded. Oliver left just as Sam looked up and saw Luke smiling. He turned toward the door and saw Andy walking in. The smile she returned wasn't as warm as Luke's, but Sam had a feeling it had more to do with what was going on with Peck.

"Hey, Andy," Luke said as Sam leaned against the counter next to him. He smirked behind his coffee cup, interested to see if and how her interactions with Callaghan differed from her interactions with him.

"Hi, Luke," she said and her eyes drifted over to Sam quickly before landing on the coffee. "How are you?"

"Good, you?"

"Fine," she said. Which Sam could clearly tell was a lie, but the smile on Luke's face made it obvious that he had no idea. Andy turned to look at him and he smiled.

"Ready, McNally?" He asked and she nodded. "See you tomorrow night, Callaghan."

"Later, Sammy," Luke said before looking back at Andy. "See you at the Penny?"

"Not tonight," she told him and then looked at Sam. He pushed himself away from the counter and walked out of the kitchen with a hand on her back.

"You okay?" He asked once they were walking down the hall.

"Yes," she sighed and then looked up at him. "Not really. I don't know. I shouldn't talk about it."

Sam nodded, taking his hand off her back to open the door to the parking lot and ushered her through. When they were in the car, he turned to look at her. "Peck and Diaz, huh?" He said and she whipped her head around to face him.

"How did you know that?" She asked and he laughed. "Sam, it's not funny. If Gail finds out that you know, she'll think I told you."

"Why would she think _you_ told me?" He asked, pulling out of the lot.

"It's not important," she muttered and he glanced at her quickly. "Just don't go around telling people."

"I'm not going to tell anyone," he laughed. "But someone did tell me, so you know it's not a secret anymore."

"_I _know that," she sighed. "It's not even a big deal. It's not like he's her-"

She stopped short just as Sam pulled over to the side of the road Frank had assigned them to. "Training officer?" He finished and she nodded. "No, it's not that big of a deal. Cops date cops, it's just the way of the world. Our whole lives are spent with each other and we have no time for people we don't work with. Peck needs to calm down."

"Yeah," she said, looking up at him and he offered her a half-hearted smile. "Is that why you have a date with Luke tomorrow night?"

"Yes," he laughed, getting out of the car. She laughed loudly and followed him out. He was rummaging through the trunk, looking for the speed gun, and she sat down next to him and crossed her arms.

"I didn't think you liked Luke," she said and he shrugged.

"We're not really friends," he admitted. "He's playing poker with us tomorrow, though. Apparently, we needed a fifth."

"That's too bad," she said, taking the gun from his hands and standing up so he could close the trunk. "I'm a great poker player."

"Oh, really?" He asked sarcastically and she fixed him with a real hard look.

"Sam Swarek, I am a _fantastic _poker player," she insisted and he put his hands up in defense.

"Just aim that thing, McNally," he said, nodding towards a car that was about to pass them.

* * *

When Sam and Andy walked into the station after their shift, they immediately ran into Traci and Jerry. "You're all set for tonight?" Traci asked and they all turned to look at Andy. Sam wasn't sure what she should be ready for, but he wasn't willing to walk away, either.

"I'm all set," she promised. And then her face contorted a little and Traci sighed. Traci dragged McNally into the kitchen and Jerry laughed before punching Sam lightly in the arm and walking away. Sam sighed and walked into the kitchen to see that Oliver was already in there.

Andy and Nash were talking about something- whatever was going on that night- and Sam stood to the side with Oliver. "Penny?" He asked and Sam shrugged.

"We've got that poker game tomorrow," he said. "I think I need to prepare my liver. It's been awhile, you know?"

"That's true," Oliver laughed. They kept to themselves, passing the coffee pot back and forth until both cups were filled. Epstein and Diaz walked in, joining Andy and Nash.

"What do you guys know about plumbing?" Andy asked.

"Nothing," Diaz laughed.

"Yeah, you need any help with wires, we're your guys," Epstein told her.

"Pipes, though, pipes are not our strong point," Diaz added.

"My plumbing crapped out on me this morning!" Andy sighed. Oliver looked up at Sam and he shook his head.

"Pun intended?" He asked and Andy turned to look at him with an amused smile.

"No," she laughed. "And gross."

"Sammy here knows his way around a kitchen sink," Oliver offered and Sam held back a sigh. "Right, Sam?"

"Yup," he nodded once and Andy's face fell.

"I can't ask you to do that," she said and he didn't argue with her. She turned back to her friends with wide eyes and Oliver punched Sam in the arm, much harder than Jerry had.

"Sammy, help the girl out," he said quietly so only he could hear. It wasn't that Sam didn't want to help her, it was more that he didn't want to spend time alone with her in her apartment. A squad car was one thing, but the privacy of her home was a dangerous playing field. He also wasn't sure why it was important for Oliver to do this favor for her- because as far as Oliver was concerned she was just another rookie. But when she and her friends were leaving to head for the locker rooms, he gave Sam a look that made him feel like the scum of the universe.

"I can take a look at it," Sam called out and Andy and her friends all turned toward him. "I'll give you a ride and take a look. Most of my tools are in the truck anyway."

"Really?" She asked and he nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem," he shrugged and she smiled before turning to leave again. "Happy?"

"She's a good kid and she needs some help, so yes, I'm happy," Oliver smiled and Sam narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you care so much?"

"Listen, her dad isn't doing so great," Oliver admitted. "Some more gossip I've heard around here," he explained. "I'm sure Tommy would be the first person she'd asked, but apparently he can't take care of himself, let alone his daughter."

"Okay," Sam nodded, brushing it off. It was no secret that Tommy was having a hard time and it was also no secret how much Oliver liked him and looked up to him. So, if it was important for Oliver, Sam was willing to help her out without anymore argument.

He left Oliver in the kitchen so he could get changed. When he was finished, Andy was waiting outside of the locker rooms with Nash and she smiled when he came out. "I will see you later," Andy said to her friend who nodded and smiled. Sam hung back as they said goodbye and then nodded toward the parking lot when Nash headed towards the detectives' office. "You really don't have to do this," she told him.

"I don't mind," he promised. "Plumbing's pretty easy for me."

"Thank you, Sam," she told him and he looked down at he and smiled. "Leo's staying over tonight and I don't want him to have to deal with broken sinks."

Sam swallowed and stopped short as they neared his truck. "Leo?" He asked, crossing his arms. Not that he had a right to be angry if Andy was seeing someone that wasn't him, but he wasn't about to fix her plumbing just for another man to screw it up again.

"Yeah," she said, looking at him and then the truck, confused as to why they weren't walking toward it anymore. "Traci's son."

He laughed at himself and she smirked. "Traci's son," he nodded and she shook her head, amused.

"Oh, did someone just get a little jealous?" She laughed, leaving him to get into the truck. He sighed which ended in a small laugh and followed her.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Here you go :) The next chapter will be up in a few days. I've just got a little bit of tweaking to do. Thanks for the reviews. You're great!**

When they pulled up outside of Andy's house, they both got out of the truck and Andy waited by the sidewalk while Sam grabbed his toolbox. "I'm just lucky you happen to have those on you?" She asked when he was by her side and they started walking.

"I went to my sister's place a few nights ago to fix some stuff there," he shrugged. "I just never brought it back into my house."

"I didn't know you have a sister," she said and he shrugged again. Once they reached the final step outside of her door, she unlocked it and walked through. When she turned back, Sam was walking in, taking a look around the living room.

"Did you just move in?" He asked and Andy narrowed her eyes, looking around the room for herself. "There's no pictures, no real decorations. They're in storage?"

"This is it," she shrugged as he put the toolbox onto her coffee table and took off his sweatshirt. "Follow me," she told him.

As she walked through her living room and toward her bedroom, she started to remember that it was _Sam _following her and not just one of her friends. He had to walk through her bedroom to get to her bathroom and she just hoped she remembered to make the bed that morning. As they walked into her room, she heard him let out a low whistle and she rolled her eyes before turning her head to find him smiling at her. "This looks a little more lived in than your living room," he remarked and she nodded.

"Okay," she said, pushing the bathroom door open. "Here's where the problem started."

Sam looked around the small room, ignoring the sink, toilet, and shower, until she noticed his eyes land on the door that enters into the hallway. "Did you just want me to walk through your bedroom?" He asked with a smirk and she shoved him in the shoulder.

"The lock on that door is broken. It has been since I moved in," she explained and he nodded, pulling his long-sleeved shirt off to reveal a tight black undershirt. She swallowed and bit her top lip as he tossed it through the door onto her bedroom floor and used his foot to open the cabinet under the sink.

"Want to put that stuff somewhere so I have some space to work?" He asked and she nodded. In the tight space, they did an almost dance around each other until he had to put his hands on her shoulders and move around her himself. He shook his head with a smile and she laughed nervously.

She took everything out from under the sink quickly and dropped it into the shower. "Hopefully you don't need to work in there, or we might have an issue," she said and he nodded. She watched as he got down on the floor and situated himself so his head and arms were inside the cabinet. "Do you mind if I get out of here? I don't want to be in the way."

"No problem," he said and it was muffled from his position on the floor. "If I need you, I'll just yell."

"Thank you, Sam," she said, stepping over his legs.

While Sam was occupied underneath her sink, Andy got changed out of her jeans and blouse to put on some sweatpants and a tank top so she was ready for the promised slumber party with Leo whenever Traci dropped him off. She turned and looked back toward the bathroom and listened as Sam tinkered with whatever was underneath that sink. She found herself smiling at the sight of his legs and elbows and she rolled her eyes at herself. Her training officer was doing her a favor, that was it. So, she took a deep breath and left her room for the kitchen.

Traci had promised to feed Leo dinner before dropping him off, so she wanted to eat before he got there. But that most likely meant that she would have to eat while Sam was there, so she got a gallon of water from her pantry and poured some into a pot to let it boil. She didn't want to run any water while Sam was underneath her sink. When the water was bubbling, she put enough pasta into it for the two of them to eat. If he refused, she could always just eat it another time.

About fifteen minutes later, she heard a door open down the hall and peeked around the wall separating the kitchen and living room to see Sam coming out of the bathroom door that was supposed to be broken. "You know, your landlord probably could have fixed that for you," he told her when he caught her looking at him.

"My landlord is no help," she sighed and he nodded, walking toward her. She went back into the kitchen and he followed, propping himself onto her counter next to where she stood at the stove. "If he were any help, you wouldn't need to be here."

"I don't _need_ to be here," he reminded her and she looked up at him with an eyebrow raised. "I don't mind being here," he finished and she noticed his voice had dropped and octave. She smiled and he returned it with a gentle kick to her leg.

"Since you're being such a gentleman and fixing all of my problems, I made you some food," she told him and his smile grew as he slid off the counter.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't have to do that," he reminded her and she smiled again. She poured the pasta into the strainer and he followed closely so he never left her side.

"I wanted to," she shrugged. The sauce that she had started on the stove was starting to bubble and she watched Sam take it off the burner and turn off the heat. "Thanks."

"You're the one doing me a favor now," he shrugged. "I just want to return it by not letting your house burn down."

"You really are a gentleman, huh?" She laughed, pouring the pasta into a large bowl.

"You know me well enough to know that I'm not," he said, stepping aside so she could work with the tomato sauce.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said quietly, stirring in some spices. "You've never done anything I didn't want you to."

She avoided looking at him, but heard him swallow hard. Him, next to her, in her kitchen was making her bold. Because what she said was true; he had never done something she didn't want him to. Even when she knew it was wrong, she liked when he kissed her in his truck, she liked when he flirted with her on patrol, she loved finding him looking at her in parade. And now, in the comfort of her own home, she was reciprocating everything. As he was standing really close to her, she could see his hand as it moved from his side to rest on the small of her back. She closed her eyes for a second before leaning into his touch- letting him know he still wasn't doing anything unwelcome.

"You're going to get me into trouble," he said, turning his body so that he was speaking into her ear. She nodded, because she knew it was one hundred percent plausible. Her hand stopped stirring and she rested the spoon against the side of the pot. She turned slowly to face him, her eyes remaining on the floor, and gripped his shoulder. She heard him sigh. It kind of sounded like it was stuck somewhere between relief and frustration, and she knew exactly how he felt. "Andy?"

"You don't really call me that anymore," she noted, looking up at him and he nodded as his hand ran up and down her back.

"So I can keep you in line with the rest of the rookies," he shrugged. "So I don't get too comfortable with you."

"Right," she nodded, looking down.

"Doing what _you _asked, Andy," he said and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"I know," she nodded. "I know," she said again, quietly. "We should eat."

She sighed at the loss of his hand on her back when he stepped away from her. She watched him sit down at the small table across the room and she got his plate ready before making up her own. When she put his plate down in front of him and sat down across from him, he smiled at her and she smiled back.

They ate in silence for a little while until Andy couldn't take it anymore. "You know, the day you got back you said that I should be proud of you for not kissing me that night in the bar," she said and he looked up from his plate slowly and wiped away at some sauce on the corner of his lip.

"Uh, yeah," he nodded. "I stand by that," he said with a smirk.

"I am," she smiled. "Maybe not _proud_, but definitely impressed. You're stronger than I am and I shouldn't hold that against you. I've been the one pushing you away since then and it's not fair for me to put that on you. I'm making the decision and I shouldn't be asking for your help and making you dinners and coming onto you when I was the one who said we can't be together right now."

"Technically, it's the division that says we can't be together, you're just doing what you do and following the rules," he said with a shrug. "And you didn't ask me to help today, Oliver did. I'm not going to lie, I didn't want to because I thought it would really suck being here with you. No offense."

"None taken," she laughed.

"It's not my job to help you fix your plumbing, but I'm glad I'm... here," he finished and then she watched his lips curl into a smile. "Otherwise, I'd be eating cold pizza out of the box."

Andy laughed, looking down at her plate and heard him chuckle. "Thank you, Sam. Really," she said and he nodded, smiling. "And I'll go back to being a lady and you can go back to calling me McNally and there will be no hard feelings, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," he nodded, twirling his fork through his pasta absentmindedly. "Is that what you want, though? Because I can wait two and a half months until you're cut loose before I do something stupid, like kiss you again, but I don't know if you can."

"So specific," she laughed and he shrugged. "It's what needs to happen."

"That's not what I asked."

"But that's the best I can give you," she shrugged and he nodded. "Like I said at the diner, we shouldn't put our lives on hold. You're a _really _good looking guy and you should use that to your advantage instead of waiting around for me. I'm not as special as you're starting to make me feel."

Just then, she heard the front door open and the patter of little feet. "Andy!" She looked up to see Leo running toward her, decked out in superhero pajamas and a matching backpack.

"Hi, Monster," she said as he ran into her arms. She looked up to see Traci and Jerry looking between her and Sam.

"Sammy, I thought that was your truck," Jerry said, looking down at his half empty plate. "What's going on here?"

Andy ran her hand down the back of Leo's head before letting go of him and standing up. "He came to fix my plumbing so Leo could come over and you two could go to your brother's house for dinner," she explained, shooting pleading eyes toward Traci. Traci got the hint and ran her hand down Jerry's back.

"Thank god for Swarek," she said, smiling first at Andy and then at Sam. He nodded with a tight smile and stood up.

"Yeah," he sighed, picking up his and Andy's plates. She took them from him hastily and dropped them in the sink. "I'm going to get my tools together. Tell your brother I say hi," he nodded toward Jerry.

"Of course, man," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "He'll be glad to hear you're back safe."

"Baby, why don't you go turn on the TV while we say goodbye to Andy?" Traci said, squatting down to get to Leo's eye level. He nodded and ran off, Sam following behind to get to the bathroom. "Thank you for watching him, Andy. Seriously, it's a huge help."

"Trace, without Leo, my Friday night would be spent alone on that couch," she laughed. "It's my pleasure."

"Okay," Traci smiled. "Dex will pick him up tomorrow morning, no later than 9. I'll be back tomorrow night while this one's getting drunk over a poker table," she said, putting her arm around Jerry.

"Yeah, definitely," Andy smiled. "You guys should go. Have some fun, adult time. Leo and I are going to have a blast. I promise."

"Listen to the lady, Traci," Jerry said, pulling her toward the front door. "Thanks, McNally. Bye, Sammy!" He yelled the last part and Traci waved over her shoulder as the door shut behind them.

Andy sighed and checked on Leo. "Hey, Buddy," she called out and he turned on his knees from his spot on her couch. "Want a milkshake?"

"Yeah!" He yelled back, smiling. She smiled back and he turned to face the TV again.

As she gathered the supplies in her kitchen she heard footsteps approaching and she turned to see Sam enter the kitchen, this time he had his long-sleeved shirt on again. He put his toolbox onto the table and leaned against the wall, looking at her. "Well, thanks again," she said, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter.

"Stop thanking me," he smiled and she nodded. She watched as he pushed himself off the wall and walked over to her. He rested his palms against the counter on either side of her body, creating a cage and she swallowed hard. He bent his knees slightly so he was looking in her eyes and she stopped herself from reaching for his hips. "Thanks for dinner," he said and she nodded, unable to talk. He took one of his hands from the counter and pushed her bangs out of her face.

"Sam," she sighed, standing up straighter. He followed suit, but remained close. "If you don't leave now, two and half months is going to feel like an eternity."

"It already does," he said and she nodded.

"I thought you said you could handle it," she reminded him and he smirked.

"Doesn't mean I want to."

"Leo's waiting," she said and he turned just his head to look into the living room.

"He seems pretty content with that sponge thing on the TV," he reported back, turning to look at her again. She nodded and her eyes wandered down his face to his lips. "Why would Peck think you were the one who told me about her and Diaz?" He asked, going back to the conversation they had earlier in their squad.

It took her by surprise, but she answered him this time he asked. "She's been thinking there's something going on between us since the morning we spent in that interrogation room," she admitted and he nodded, pushing himself away from her. She wanted to lean toward him or pull him back, but he was doing the right thing. "See, this is dangerous," she said with a sad smile, gesturing between them.

"I'll see you in a couple of days, McNally," he said and she nodded. She hated the use of her last name now that she knew why he did it, but if it helped put distance between them, then it couldn't hurt.

"Have fun on your date with Luke tomorrow," she told him and he laughed.

"Don't worry, there'll be chaperones," he smirked and she nodded.

"I'm sure Frank and Oliver would never let anything happen while under their supervision," she joked and he laughed. "Have a good night, Sam."

"You, too," he said, picking up his toolbox. They walked out to the living room together and she watched him leave.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Leo asked and Andy nearly choked on her surprise.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "That was a friend from work. My sink was broken in the bathroom and he fixed it so you'd have a place to brush your teeth tonight."

"Oh," he said, losing interest quickly. She sighed and turned back to the kitchen to finish the milkshakes she'd promised.

When she sat on the couch, she handed Leo his and took a long sip of her own. Leo settled into the arm of the couch, revealing a sweatshirt that he was sitting on. She put down her shake and pulled it gently from underneath him to see it was the one Sam had taken off before working in her bathroom. She kind of smiled at it, running her fingers over the soft material, and then rolled it into a ball and used it as a pillow.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This is kind of a long one for this story! But, I guess there's a lot going on. What exactly does that mean? You're going to have to read and find out!**

**Thanks for all the reviews!**

Sam stood over the coffee pot with his head down and his eyes closed. If he didn't open them, his head wouldn't hurt and he could pretend he was still at home in bed. He jerked, his eyes popping open in surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Rough night?" Andy asked with a laugh and he scowled at her before pouring coffee into his paper cup.

"Too loud, McNally," he warned, bringing the cup to his lips, and she smiled at him.

"Hungover after poker night," she said, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "You're such a cliche."

"And you're still talking," he smirked. She laughed and finished her own coffee just as Jerry, Traci, and Luke walked into the kitchen. Sam looked at the man who took most of his money the night before and then looked down at his boots, rolling his eyes. "Let's go, McNally."

He looked up at her after a second of no response and caught her in time to see her mouthing the words "help me" to Traci. He rolled his eyes again and then squeezed them shut when it made his head hurt.

"You know what, Sammy?" Callaghan said and he slowly opened his eyes to look at him. "Let me take McNally off your hands for the day."

Sam swore he would have laughed right in his face if he was feeling up for a laugh. Instead he crossed his arms, looked between Andy and Luke, catching the wide eyes of Traci and Jerry off to the side. "You know what, Callaghan?" He snarled. "You took enough of my money last night, why don't you leave my rookie with me, huh? You and Jerry already have Nash, you don't really need McNally."

"He's right, man," Jerry said, stepping between them. "We've got Nash. We're good."

"All right," Luke said, raising his hands in defense.

Sam looked at Andy and she walked out with her head down. He sighed, sure he had pissed her off, and followed behind her. As they entered the parking lot, he walked a little faster, so he was right up behind her, and handed her the squad keys over her shoulder. She stopped quickly, causing him to ram into her back, and then she turned slowly toward him until his arm fell to his side.

"Are you trying to bribe me after using me as a trophy in there?" She asked, turning the keys over in her hands and he rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw.

"You know how you said you didn't think I liked Callaghan?" He asked, taking a step closer, and she nodded. "Well, let's just say, after last night, I do not like Callaghan."

He watched as she unsuccessfully tried to keep a smile off of her face and he smiled tightly back. "Can I ask why?"

He thought about it, pursed his lips and squinted his eyes, and shook his head. "A number of reasons, McNally," he told her.

"Fine," she shrugged, turning back toward the car. Once they were driving out toward downtown, she looked over at him quickly as he was already watching her. For once, it wasn't because of his feelings for her but because he'd never let a rookie drive and he felt more comfortable watching her than the road he had no control over. "So, he took all of your money?"

"Yeah," he sighed with a slow nod. "Well, not all of it, but I definitely wasn't on top of my game last night."

"And that's not the only reason you hate him?"

"Andy, we just went over this," he sighed again, resting his head against the headrest and closing his eyes.

"Yeah, and you didn't answer me," she reminded him. His head fell to the side and he opened his eyes.

"What makes you think I'm going to now?"

"Did he say something about me?" She asked, pulling into a convenience store parking lot.

Sam's eyes widened, in shock. Not because she was being presumptuous, but because she was right. He looked out his window and heard her sigh. "Why do you think he said something about you?"

"I don't know," she said and he turned to look at her again. "The way you acted when he asked to take me off your hands. You were _mad_. Maybe it has nothing to do with me, but maybe it does. I don't know."

"Maybe I just didn't want to ride alone today," he said with a shrug and she rolled her eyes.

"You would love to be riding alone today," she told him. "You're hungover; that would be a dream."

She was right and he was too hungover to come up with anything else. "McNally..."

"You know what, you don't have to tell me any specifics, that's fine," she said quickly, pulling out onto the road again. "Just tell me that _he _doesn't know it has something to do with me."

At that Sam nodded, admitting that he was, in fact, upset with Callaghan about something having to do with Andy. He was sure, though, that Callaghan had no idea that was the case. Callaghan's not as smart as he likes to think he is. As far as he's concerned, Sam's only issue with him is his poker playing and his beer drinking. Poker night is typically BYOB, but Callaghan didn't get that message and after his third bottle of Sam's beer, Sam made sure he knew for the next time.

"Chris and Gail are coming out of the closet," Andy announced and Sam laughed- too loud for the pain in his head.

"I don't know what that means, McNally," he said, grateful she had let the subject of Callaghan drop once and for all.

"They're going to the Penny this week," she explained. "As a couple. Are you going to be around to see that? Or was last night too much? You probably need a whole month to work one hangover off."

"How old do you think I am?" He laughed and she just shrugged.

He knew he'd most likely be around for it. Not that he was interested _at all _in Peck and Diaz, but he was kind of interested to see if anyone would actually care. And, you know, any excuse for him to be in the same vicinity as Andy was reason enough for him.

"It will probably be Wednesday," she said, looking over at him quickly. "I'll let you know, though."

It almost felt like she _wanted _him to be there, like she wanted to have a reason to be in the same vicinity as him. "Okay," he nodded and she smiled triumphantly.

* * *

Later that day, near the end of their shift, Sam was chasing down a suspect with Andy a few steps ahead of him. By the time they reached the end of the alley they were running down, Andy had the guy and Sam slowed to a stop. Just as she was about to cuff him, the guy elbowed her in the gut and turned out of her grasp, pushing Sam into a shattered window. Thankfully, Oliver and Epstein were right behind them and they were able to get the guy on the ground and in cuffs as Sam looked at the blood streaming down his arm and Andy pushed herself from the ground.

"Holy crap," Oliver said, eyes wide. "Sammy, you need to get that looked at."

"Oh my god," Andy said, grabbing his hand to get a look at the cut. "Do you guys have this? I should get him to the hospital."

"Noelle and Gail are here, too," Epstein said.

"Yeah, you go," Oliver nodded. "Shift's almost over anyway. Get that taken care of, Brother."

"I'm fine," he insisted, wrenching his hand out of Andy's grasp.

"Sam, go," Oliver said forcefully and he rolled his eyes. When he turned to leave the alley, he looked quickly at Andy and heard her footsteps fall in line behind his. As he passed Noelle near the opening, he heard her gasp and he cursed the blood dripping onto the sidewalk.

He went to open the car door, but stopped when he realized it was locked and Andy had the keys. So, he leaned against the hood of the car and waited for her to catch up to him. When he saw her turn the corner, he pushed himself to stand and she shook her head. "If I have to do this, I'm doing it now, McNally," he said and she rolled her eyes before moving to the trunk and pulling out the medical. "McNally..."

"Sam, just shut up and sit down," she said, sliding the bag onto the hood while he defiantly stayed standing. "Fine, but I'm wrapping your hand and it might take a while."

"If you're all making me go to the hospital, why do you need to wrap it first?" He asked and she put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him to sit. When she looked into his eyes, he relaxed and held his hand out and she took it with a soft smile.

"I know you're hungover, but you don't need to be such a jerk," she told him quietly when she started wiping the blood from his hand and arm, looking for the cut the produced the most of the blood. "We're just trying to help."

He sighed, nodded, and watched as she continued cleaning and wrapping the wound. When she was finished, she turned his hand over to make sure the bandage was secure and he took a deep breath before closing his hand around her fingers. Her sharp intake of breath made him regret his actions until she looked up from his wound and smiled brightly. He nodded, letting go of her hand, and stood up.

"Thanks," he said and she nodded, stepping closer. Then, without warning, he heard footsteps rounding the building and he turned away from her to pack up the medical supplies. She joined him as Oliver, Dov, and the suspect got into the cruiser next to them.

"He needs stitches, McNally," Oliver called out through his open window. "Don't let him convince you that wrapping it up is good enough."

"I'm just making sure he doesn't bleed all over the cruiser," she smiled over her shoulder as Sam zipped up the bag. "I'm taking him in now."

"Good," he called back before driving away.

Sam picked the bag up and went to walk around Andy, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest. "You're injured," she said, taking the bag from him.

"I'm fine," he sighed, opening the passenger door and getting in. As he waited for her to round the car and get in next to him, he watched her from the rearview mirror.

"Jeez, you do not like when people take care of you, huh?" She said when she got in and started the car.

"That's right, you figured me out, McNally," he smiled and watched as she rolled her eyes.

"It's a nasty cut, Sam," she reminded him and he nodded. "You need to get it looked at."

"I just want to go home," he told her, looking at the blood seeping through the wrapping on his hand.

"Well, isn't that just too damn bad?" She asked, smiling at him quickly.

He laughed to himself and the rest of the ride was silent. When Andy pulled up outside, Sam rolled his neck and pushed his door open. The hospital was exactly where Sam did _not _want to be. Hungover or not, no one likes hospitals. Andy walked in right next to him, shoulder to shoulder, and he had to admit that if he had to go to the hospital, at least she was there to distract him. He'd grown to learn how fantastic of a distraction she is- in the best way.

They checked in and saw the emergency room was flooded with people and Sam started to hate the guy that pushed him in the first place. "I didn't even ask if you were okay," he said when he and Andy sat down to wait.

"I'm fine," she said with a shake of her head. "Just an elbow to my gut," she shrugged, turning to smile at him.

He smiled back and nodded, leaning further into the plastic chair he was sitting in. "You don't have to wait," he told her and she looked like she was going to laugh in his face. He wanted her there, but didn't want her to feel obligated to stay. "I'm a big boy."

"Shut up, Sam," she laughed. "I don't mind staying. I _want _to stay," she insisted as her hand fell onto his thigh. He looked quickly down at his lap and then smirked up at her.

"You _want_ to stay?" He asked, unconvinced.

"Yes."

"At the hospital?" He asked and she nodded. "With me?"

"Yes, Sam," she promised and he nodded. Her hand was still on his thigh and he wasn't about to be the one to make her realize that. It was actually kind of comforting- her there with him, a warm hand on his leg, plus the fact that she kept smiling at him. When she looked down at her lap, he could see her eyes widen when she realized where her hand was. She pulled it away quickly and crossed her arms over her chest. "You could have said something, you know."

"Why would I?" He smirked and she looked up at him. "Don't be mad at me. It was _your _hand on my thigh."

"I didn't realize," she sighed. "And you clearly did. We're in uniform. I can't be feeling up my training officer while we're in uniform."

"Andy, calm down," he laughed.

"Swarek," he heard his name being called and he kept his eyes on Andy's a little longer. He didn't want to get up and deal with what he was about to deal with. "Sam," Monica said, now directly in front of him. It was Andy who looked up first.

"Monica," he said, standing up. Andy was on her feet in a second, looking between them and he just wanted to get away from them both.

"What happened?" Monica asked, lifting his hand to her face. She saw the blood and tucked her clipboard under her arm so she could investigate. Sam just let her and looked down at Andy who was looking down at her feet.

"I got pushed," he shrugged and Monica looked at him with narrowed eyes, expecting more.

"Into a shattered window," Andy finished and they both looked at her. "It's a deep cut. Well, one deep cut and a bunch of little cuts."

"Yeah," Monica nodded. "I can see that. Come on, Sam. I'll take you back."

"I'll be back, you don't have to wait," he told Andy and she sat down and crossed her legs. He nodded to himself and took his hand out of Monica's grasp. She looked between him and Andy and turned for him to follow.

"She's cute," Monica said as they sat down across from each other.

"Who? McNally?"

"Is that her name?" She asked, unwrapping the bandage from around his hand. "You didn't introduce us."

"Yeah, Andy McNally," he nodded.

"How long have you guys been dating?" She asked and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"I'm her training officer, not her boyfriend," he told her and she laughed.

"Could have fooled me," she said. "Looks like there are a lot of strings there. I didn't think you liked strings."

"I thought you didn't like strings," he countered as she started stitching up the cut on his hand.

"I liked you and you didn't like strings," she shrugged. Sam nodded, unsure of what to say next. "Don't worry about it, Sam. You didn't feel the same way."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Tell her how you feel," Monica said suddenly and Sam looked up at her again, sure he wanted to be having any other conversation.

"Uh..."

"I should have told you sooner, before you went undercover," she insisted. "Don't be an idiot. Tell her how you feel."

"She knows how I feel," he admitted. "It's complicated."

"Of course it is," she smiled, finishing up her work. "But that doesn't mean it's not worth it."

Sam nodded and Monica wrapped his hand again before they both stood. "Thanks, Monica," he said and she shrugged, putting a hand on his shoulder to lead him back to Andy.

Andy stood when she saw them enter the waiting room again and he smiled tightly at her. "The stitches should dissolve on their own," Monica said and he turned back to her. "Don't do anything stupid, okay? Let it heal for about five to seven days, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," she smiled, leaning in to hug him. He was surprised, but hugged her with his good hand wrapping around her back.

She pulled back and smiled before calling another patient's name. Sam looked back at Andy who looked like she just got the wind knocked out of her- again. He sighed and walked over to her. "Are you ready?" He asked and she nodded.

They walked out of the hospital together, in silence. The drove back to the station together, in silence. They walked inside together, in silence. And when they reached the locker rooms, Sam stopped her with his hand on her shoulder and she spun toward him. "What?" She asked, backing away until his hand fell.

"Are... You okay?" He asked, his brow furrowing.

"Yeah," she said before walking into the locker room.

He sighed and walked into the men's locker room, not surprised to find it empty. They were late getting back and the next shift had already come and gone to parade. He got changed carefully, making sure he didn't "do anything stupid." Just as he was putting his belt on, he heard footsteps and looked around his locker door to see Andy coming toward him.

"What-" He was cut off when she pushed him against the locker next to his and kissed him- hard. She kept one hand on his bare chest as the other slid around his neck when she stood taller to get even closer to him. It took him longer than he was proud to admit to wrap his arm around her to cradle her head in his hand and kiss her back. The hand that was wrapped in a bandage, slid slowly down her back until his pinky slipped into the back pocket of her jeans.

Sam was consumed by the kiss, content in making it last as long as it could. He wasn't sure what had gotten into her, what had caused her to go from the silent treatment in the car to a mindblowing kiss in the locker room, but he was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. Because, even before she pulled herself away from him, he knew she would do it. He also wasn't surprised when she left the locker room with nothing but an empty gaze.

"Andy," he called out after her, but she was gone and he still didn't have a shirt or shoes on. As soon as he was dressed and he was sure his lips weren't swollen, he left the locker room. And when he bumped into Callaghan, it was like his hangover came rushing back to him.

The night before, Callaghan had gotten a little drunk (too drunk, if you asked Sam, considering he only had three beers), and he'd admitted to the table that he was determined to get Andy to go out on a date with him. And Sam did a great job not laughing in his face. But Jerry had told him to go for it because he had heard from Traci that she hadn't been dating much. Frank and Oliver remained silent, but Sam could see the disapproval in Oliver's eyes.

"Have a good night, Swarek," Luke said now and Sam nodded.

"Yeah. Good night."


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. I think you'll like this one, too ;)**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

"McNally, can we talk?" Sam asked four days later- the first time they'd seen each other with more than just a few seconds to spare.

"No," she said, smiling sadly as she walked around him.

He sighed, sure that there was a reason they hadn't seen each other for those four days. He watched her walk into the parade room- early, but not early enough to be alone.

Ever since she kissed him in the locker room, they'd only seen each other in passing. They had the two days afterwards off and she ignored his attempts to contact her. Then, she had been riding with Oliver since they got back. Sam had been stuck with Diaz who was freaking out about "coming out of the closet" (as Andy had put it). It was funny, he had no idea how Diaz knew he already knew about him and Peck, but he wished he didn't. The entire time he rambled on, Sam sat quietly wishing any other rookie was sitting next to him. Even if it was Peck, at least she wouldn't go on and on about it.

In parade he found out he was lucky enough to lose Diaz, but, unfortunately, it meant he gained Epstein. When Frank called McNally's name and told her she was with Noelle for the day, Sam was almost tempted to get her to switch with him. That would not end well, though, and it would just make Andy more mad than she already was.

Although, Sam didn't understand why she was mad in the first place. She had been the one to kiss him. It was not his fault- he had no control over what her lips did up against his own. If he did, he knew damn well that he'd spend a lot more time kissing her.

* * *

It went on like that for another week between Sam and Andy. For whatever reason, she was always training with someone else. Even when he tried to talk to her at the Penny, she would smile at him for show and tell him she had nothing to say to him. In all honesty, he was sick of it and when she did talk to him again, he wasn't sure if he would scream at her or beg her to tell him what he had done.

So, as he sat at the bar listening to Jerry and Oliver go on and on about Jerry's car, he watched Andy from across the bar. She was sitting with the other rookies- Diaz with his arm around Peck now that they were public- and he knew that she saw him looking. He knew that she was avoiding his eyes. He also knew that when she stood up to get another round, Callaghan was going to pounce at his chance to get that date.

He actually watched it happen. Sam watched Andy get up to get a drink. He watched Callaghan walk from one side of the bar to her. He watched her smile tightly at him when his hand landed on her shoulder. He watched Callaghan's mouth as he asked her the inevitable question. And he watched Andy think about it. She actually thought about it and he didn't want to watch anymore for fear she would say yes.

"I'm gonna head home," he told his friends and they looked at him like he was crazy. He didn't blame them; he hadn't even finished his first drink.

"Are you sure, buddy?" Jerry asked, leaning his elbows on the bar. Sam swallowed, looking quickly at Andy and Luke, and nodded. "All right, well, have a good night."

"Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow," Oliver said and Sam nodded again.

"Good night," he told them, finishing his drink in one sip.

He left without another look back. He didn't look across the bar to see if Andy and Callaghan were still talking to each other. He didn't look back at his friends to see if they worrying unnecessarily about him. He just kept his eyes trained forward and left the bar to the cold, night air. He reveled in that air, though. Because whatever was going on inside the bar had made the air in there thick and difficult to breathe.

He sat in his truck and waited for it to warm up. He watched the parking lot and the street as cars passed quickly by. Then, he watched as Andy walked out of the bar- thankfully alone- and he left his truck running as he got out.

"McNally," he called and she stopped dead in her tracks. She had nowhere to run and no one either of them cared about was around, so she couldn't even pretend it was a bad time to talk.

He walked over to her, to stand right in front of her, and he felt a weird sense of comfort just being near her. It didn't matter that they hadn't spoken in almost two weeks- she was finally there and she wasn't running away.

"What do you want, Sam?" She asked, crossing her arms and looking down at the ground.

"What is your problem?" He asked and he hated that he was closer to the begging stage than the yelling stage. "Why won't you talk to me? You can't kiss someone the way you kissed me and then ignore them for two weeks."

"Sure I can," she said quietly, still looking down.

"But why would you?" He sighed, bending at the knees to try and get her to look him in the eye.

"Because I screwed up," she admitted, throwing her arms out. "I kissed you _in the station_."

"I know," he nodded. "I was there."

"Oh, I know," she laughed humorlessly. "We can't do this, Sam. We can't talk about this here. Everybody we know is within a hundred feet from us right now."

"Let me give you a ride home," he said and she shook her head. "Andy, come on."

"I can't do this, okay?" She sighed and he shook his head.

"Not okay, McNally," he told her and she tilted her head and glared at him.

"Well, you're not my training officer right now, so I don't need to stand here and do what you tell me," she said after a moment. "I'm going home."

"He asked you out, right?" Sam asked, looking at the door, imagining Callaghan in there boasting about his date.

"Who?" She asked, scrunching her nose and he looked back at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Callaghan just asked you out, didn't he?"

"No," she shook her head. "He did about a week ago and I said no. Not that it's _any _of your business. He just asked if I knew where one of his files that I was working on was."

"You said no?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"I said no," she confirmed and he let out a sigh of relief. "He's done asking me out. He knows it's never going to happen."

"Why's that?"

"I told him I didn't want to date anyone I work with," she told him and he actually fell back a step. "I'm gonna go."

He nodded and let her walk around him toward the street. He turned around and watched her get into a cab before getting into his truck. Before he knew what he was doing, he left the Penny and drove straight to Andy's.

She was only just closing the door behind her when he pulled up outside and he waited a few minutes to figure out what he was actually doing there. He shut his truck off and once the warm air started to cool, he pushed open his door.

Before he was even able to knock on her front door, she opened it with a bag full of trash. "Are you serious?" She asked, closing the door behind her. She leaned over the side of her porch and dropped the bag into the bin there and then turned to face him.

He looked at her, now in a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt that was way too big for her. She crossed her arms over her chest and he noticed a small stain on the cuff of the sweatshirt.

"Are you wearing my sweatshirt?" He asked, walking toward her and her face fell. "Where did you get my sweatshirt?"

"Calm down, it's not like I went into your house and stole it," she told him, running her hand through her hair. "You left it here when you fixed my sink."

"So, you can wear my sweatshirt but you can't talk to me?" He asked and she sighed.

"We talked," she reminded him, moving toward her door. When she walked inside, she left it open, so he followed her to the couch.

"Well, we talked about why you haven't talked to me, but we didn't talk about why you kissed me," he told her, sliding his jacket off and laying it over the back of her couch.

"Why does it matter, Sam?" She asked, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"It matters, Andy," he shrugged. "And I want to know why you gave me the silent treatment before you kissed me. What happened from the time we sat in the waiting room to the time you pushed me up against the lockers?"

"I really don't want to have this conversation," she said, resting her forehead on her knee.

"Then don't freeze people out and then kiss them," he told her. "It leads to conversations like this one."

"How's your hand?" She asked, letting her feet fall to the floor,

"Fine," he said, confused.

"Monica is good at her job, then, huh?"

"Is _that _what this is about?" He asked, eyes wide. "Monica?"

"No," she said unconvincingly.

"Andy, Monica and I dated before I worked the Hill case," he told her. "Not even dated, really. We just h-"

"I don't need a play-by-play," she insisted, jutting her hand out to stop him from talking anymore.

He smirked at her and she deflated against the arm of the couch. "You were mad at me because you thought there was something going on with me and Monica?" He asked and she shrugged.

"I wasn't mad," she told him. "I was just confused. It seemed like you two had a history- a complicated history."

"What was the kiss about, then?"

She rolled her eyes, more at herself than at him, and sighed. "I... lost it," she said. "I got jealous and I've done such a great job at pushing you away that I didn't want you to forget that I'm still here."

"And then you went right back to pushing me away?" He asked, standing up to pace the living room. "Andy, I don't get you."

"Well, if it helps, I don't really understand it either," she sighed, folding herself in half, burying her face in her lap.

Sam sat down again, this time right next to her. Andy looked up slowly once she felt his weight on the couch and let out a deep, slow breath. "First, you told me not to put my life on hold-"

"And I thought I meant it," she said quickly, cutting him off. "You don't deserve this... This crap."

Sam laughed, licking his lips and leaned back into the cushion. Andy followed suit, letting her head fall to the side to look at him. When he looked at her, she smiled and he tentatively reached out to put his hand on her thigh and she sighed. "I'm not as good at waiting as I thought I was," he admitted quietly and she nodded before laying her head on his shoulder.

"I never said I would be very good at it," she reminded him and he laughed. "I am sorry, though," she told him, sitting up and he took his hand from her leg. "I've been acting pretty crazy. I don't usually act like this. And I totally understand if you're done dealing with it. I would be."

"McNally, I just followed you home and you think I'm done dealing with you?" He asked, shaking his head.

"You need to go," she told him, standing up. She stretched the sleeves of his sweatshirt out and balled the ends in her fist. "You should go," she reiterated, sounding unsure, and Sam stood up and reached for her waist.

He brought one hand up to push her bangs behind her ear and pulled her closer with the hand still on her waist. "McNally?" He said, looking directly at her lips.

"Yeah?" She answered, quietly- nervously.

"I'm going to kiss you," he warned her and waited for her to nod.

And, then, Sam kissed her. For the first time in their very brief history, the kiss was slow. Even when he felt Andy try and quicken it, he held his ground and wrapped his arms around her and she sort of just melted against his chest and folded her arms around his neck. He pulled his head back enough to see her lips still parted slightly and her eyes still closed and he lost all control and kissed her harder- giving her exactly what she wanted. She pushed him back until the back of his knees hit the couch and he sat down, bringing her with him. Her knees landed on either side of his legs and she ran her hands down his chest. His hands ran up her bare thighs and the sides of her body. When he felt her hands on his cheeks, he snapped out of it and pulled his head back, licking his lips.

They both laughed and his hands fell to her thighs again, squeezing them once and he kissed her on the forehead. "I guess I really should go," he told her and she nodded, not moving from where she sat on his lap.

"So, what happens now?" She asked after a moment, tracing the v of his shirt and he shrugged. "I mean, we can't really go back to not talking."

"You were the one not talking," he reminded her and she laughed. "But, I don't know, Andy. I know you don't want to start anything and you don't want to date anyone at the division."

"Well, clearly I was lying about that," she told him and he smiled before kissing her quickly. "I'm a terrible liar, though, and people already think I was sleeping with you. I wasn't, so it was easy to deny it. What if more people start thinking that and someone asks me? What if-"

"Hey, hey, Andy, calm down, okay?" He said, running a hand up her back to cradle her head. "To be fair, we aren't sleeping together," he reminded her and she rolled her eyes.

"Kind of seems like it's just a matter of time now, doesn't it?" She asked, moving off of him. He immediately missed her touch and he stood up with her and used the pockets of his sweatshirt to pull her closer and she laughed. "And, you know, Gail and the guys don't always use the term 'sleeping with.' If they ask if something is going on between us, they'll know I'm lying."

"The guys think there's something going on with us?" He asked as his fingertips moved up and down the outside of her thigh.

"They all do," she admitted. "According to Traci, even Jerry does."

"Well, he hasn't said anything to me."

"I can't imagine why," she sighed, clasping her hands together behind his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't seem like you'd tell him anything even if he did," she said.

"Are you going to go to work tomorrow and tell Nash and Peck that we just made out on the couch like a couple of teenagers?" He asked and she laughed, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. "Andy," he said and she looked up at him again and he smiled before kissing her on the cheek and letting her go. "We'll deal with people if we have to. If people _really _think something going is on with us, just laugh in their faces."

"Oh, yeah, that's easy enough," she smiled and he shrugged. "We need to figure out what this is, what's going on."

"I like you, I like kissing you, I almost always want to be doing it," he told her and her smile widened. "I mean, that's what this is. I can't stay away anymore."

"I can't either," she said and he framed her face in his hands and kissed her slowly. "The past two weeks have kind of sucked."

"Tell me about it," he nodded. "I mean, we haven't even worked together."

"I know," she said, closing her eyes as Sam left another kiss on her forehead. "I guess Frank just wants to spread us rookies out."

"Guess so," he mumbled against her skin. "So, Callaghan's done with you?" He asked, looking at her and she smiled.

"He should be."

"Good," he smiled and she kissed him quickly. "I have to go," he told her regretfully, letting go of her and reaching behind him for his jacket.

"Okay," she said and he almost smiled when he noticed that her face had fallen. "I'll see you at work?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "That should be interesting," he smirked and she laughed, nodding.

"Bye, Sam."

"See you tomorrow, Andy."


End file.
